New ‘green’ Visa card for business cardholders
Visa Commercial Europe enters partnership with RePay International
London, 17 September 2008 - Visa Europe has entered a new partnership agreement with RePay International to launch a new ‘green’ Visa card to business cardholders in industry and Government across Europe. This follows the earlier launch of the world’s first carbon neutral credit card – the Visa GreenCard - in the Netherlands which was successfully introduced into the consumer market in 2004.
This new agreement means that Visa’s 4,600 member banks across Europe are able to issue business Visa cards that offset carbon emissions as part of RePay’s ClimaCount compensation programme. Under this programme, companies and Governments will be supporting sustainable projects. For example, every time a payment is made with the Visa card, the carbon emission of the product or service is established and the emission is offset through a project such as forestry or renewable energy. ClimaCount is supported by NGO Conservation International and the Dutch Applied Science institute TNO.
The innovative payment card is a ready-made card concept which includes full technical back office infrastructure, meaning that member banks will not have to invest heavily in back office functionality. All business cardholders are able to access the website www.climacount.com to check their purchases, their carbon emissions per transaction and the way that the emission will be offset.
Luc Janssen, Head of Visa Commercial, commented:
“At Visa Europe, we’re always striving to offer our members unique propositions that appeal to their business customers. This new partnership means that we can offer members a ‘green’ payment capability across Europe that addresses the increasing demand for sustainable initiatives. It is also easy for member banks to get involved as they won’t need to invest heavily in special back office functionality, as ClimaCount has that already in place.”
Patrick Bunnik, CEO at RePay International, said:
“This agreement with Visa acknowledges the rapidly changing attitude towards “green” from a possible threat to a great business opportunity. This new development for the business market is one of the next steps in broadening our ClimaCount programme. RePay is fully committed and equipped to deliver our plug and play solution to Visa members all over Europe.”
Notes to Editors:
About Visa Europe:
In Europe, there are over 350 million Visa debit, credit and commercial cards. In the 12 months ending December 2007, those cards were used to make purchases and cash withdrawals to the value of over €1.3 trillion. 11.4% of consumer spending at point of sale in Europe is with a Visa card.
Visa Europe is a membership association - an organisation owned and operated by its 4,600 European member banks – that was incorporated in July 2004. In October 2007, Visa Europe became independent of the new global Visa Inc., with an exclusive, irrevocable and perpetual licence in Europe.
As a dedicated European payment system it is able to respond quickly to the specific market needs of European banks and their customers - cardholders and retailers - and to meet the European Commission’s objective to create a true internal market for payments.
Visa enjoys unsurpassed acceptance around the world. In addition, Visa/PLUS is one of the world’s largest global ATM networks, offering cash access in local currency in over 170 countries.
For more information, visit www.visaeurope.com.
About RePay International:
RePay International is responsible for the international distribution of the ClimaCount card scheme for climate compensation. Since Repay’s establishment in 2003 the Visa GreenCard for consumers was successfully introduced in the Netherlands. ClimaCount gives card issuers the technique to make all their card holders’ payments CO2-neutral.
RePay International is advised and audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers and has offices in ’s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands and San Francisco for its general and technical support services. RePay International is part of the Tendris Holding B.V., a company that develops and supports ideas to do business in a socially responsible way.
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