Moneybookers Launches New, Innovative MasterCard(R) Prepaid Card
By Moneybookers, PRNEMonday, November 23, 2009
LONDON, November 24 - Moneybookers is today announcing that it has launched a new
prepaid card that will allow its users to access the funds in their
Moneybookers eWallet directly at any ATM or point of sale displaying the
MasterCard Acceptance Mark anywhere in the world.
Through this new development, Moneybookers has transferred the
unique benefits of the Moneybookers eWallet into the offline world whilst
giving its customers instant access to their cash, wherever they are.
Moneybookers is the first mainstream eWallet provider to do this.
Unlike existing prepaid cards, customers using the
Moneybookers MasterCard, issued by Newcastle Building Society, will not have
to split funds and separately preload the card. Instead, the Moneybookers
MasterCard synchronises automatically in real time with the funds in the
customer's Moneybookers eWallet.
This innovative feature gives the card an ease of use and
simplicity that makes it suitable for managing finances in a wide variety of
applications. As well as allowing customers to shop online and offline,
parents will be able to load money onto the card for their children
travelling on gap years abroad. People can both book their holiday flights
and pay for their souvenirs when away. Businesses can pay their suppliers -
all whilst managing their spending directly via their Moneybookers eWallet.
The card is available for all Moneybookers customers from
today. It offers extremely competitive set-up and usage fees:
Set up fee / annual fee EUR10 Withdrawal fee EUR1.80 FX fee 1.99%
The card will initially be available in four currencies: GBP,
EUR, USD and PLN.
The new Moneybookers prepaid card is a response to the
increasing popularity of eWallets. Currently, over 12,000 new Moneybookers
eWallet accounts are opened every day as more and more consumers realise the
security, convenience and flexibility of the system over traditional banking
methods. The alternative payment sector is estimated to make up 30% of all
online transactions by 2012,* suggesting that consumers will continue to seek
alternatives to banks for day to day activity.
Martin Ott, co-CEO of Moneybookers, said:
"We're very pleased to be launching the next step in online
payments. We recently signed up our ten millionth account holder; as this
sector grows our customers are increasingly looking to exploit the time and
safety benefits of the eWallet in the real world. By introducing this new
card, Moneybookers is offering our customers the best of both the online and
offline worlds wherever they are, ensuring that we stay at the forefront of
developments in this dynamic sector."
Kriya Patel, Head of Newcastle Card Solutions Limited (NCS),
said:
"As the largest provider of MasterCard(R) prepaid cards in the
UK and Europe, NCS is pleased to work in partnership with Moneybookers and
together drive further the development of the prepaid cards industry. The
Moneybookers eWallet offers a whole new dimension in terms of convenience and
this new card brings together for customers the benefits of a sophisticated
online payment platform with access to their money offline, wherever they
are, whenever they choose."
*Source: Forrester's Online Media, Marketing and Retail Study
Q3 2006 Survey.
About Moneybookers:
Moneybookers is one of Europe's largest online payments
systems and among the world's leading eWallet providers with over ten million
account holders. The simple eWallet enables any customer to make online
payments conveniently and securely without revealing personal financial data,
as well as to send and receive money transfers cost-effectively simply by
using an email address. Moneybookers' worldwide payment network offers
businesses access to over 80 payment options in over 200 countries through
just one integration. More than 50,000 merchants use Moneybookers' payments
service, including global partners such as eBay.com, Skype and Thomas Cook.
Moneybookers was founded in 2001 in London and is regulated by
the Financial Services Authority of the United Kingdom.
In September 2009, The Sunday Times Microsoft Tech Track 100
league table ranked Moneybookers as the sixth fastest growing technology
company in the UK based on sales growth. Moneybookers was also recognised for
the quality of its management, international expansion and growth strategy
with two awards at the 2009 UK Media Momentum Awards.
For more information, see www.moneybookers.com
You can also follow Moneybookers on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/moneybookers
About Newcastle Card Solutions Limited (NCS)
NCS offers BIN sponsorship, card issuance, settlement services
and complete regulatory compliance. It is currently ranked as the largest
provider in UK and Europe by MasterCard(R) on monies settled, and third
globally on MasterCard(R) prepaid network, with over 160 live schemes. It has
500,000 of its issued cards active month on month carrying out over 1,000,000
transactions.
About Newcastle Strategic Solutions Limited (NSSL)
(www.nssl.info)
NSSL is the financial services outsourcing division of
Newcastle Building Society and provides cost effective financial solutions to
help businesses maximise their income potential. NSSL's four core services
are:
- Fully Managed Savings Accounts - Mortgage Management Services - Savings and Loans Systems - Card Solutions (through Newcastle Card Solutions Ltd (NCS))
Since its inception in 1997, and with a client portfolio of UK
and international financial institutions, NSSL is now the most trusted and
experienced partner in its industry, offering the security of being backed by
a mutual building society. NSSL strives to be at the forefront in quality and
technological innovation and its award-winning team works with clients to
create fast, flexible and bespoke business solutions.
For more information, please contact: Fishburn Hedges Tel: +44(0)20-7839-4321 Michelle James moneybookers@fishburn-hedges.co.uk
For more information, please contact: Fishburn Hedges, Tel: +44(0)20-7839-4321, Michelle James, moneybookers at fishburn-hedges.co.uk
Tags: England, London, Moneybookers