Under the agreement, Optimal will be able to offer its global merchants a sophisticated online payments solution in the U.S. market, enabling these merchants to process online payments via a wide range of payment methods, including Visa and MasterCard. This relationship combines Optimal's expertise in providing international ecommerce and risk management solutions with Vantiv's processing scale, renowned service, and reputation in the U.S. market.

"We are very pleased to conclude this agreement with Vantiv," said Danny Chazonoff, Chief Operating Officer of Optimal Payments. "Vantiv and Optimal have developed a strong relationship, and this agreement provides a great opportunity for us to extend our offering by providing our best of breed gateway technologies and related services to merchants in the U.S. We are particularly excited by the future opportunities we see arising as a result of the anticipated opening of the U.S. gaming market, and we see Vantiv as a key business partner in that regard."

Optimal has a strong track record of working with exceptional merchant acquiring partners, and the relationship with Vantiv increases Optimal's base of global partners. Vantiv is the third largest merchant acquirer and the largest PIN debit acquirer based on number of transactions in the U.S.

"Vantiv continues to capitalise on its scale and single-integrated processing platform by aligning with providers that are highly complementary to our position in the market," said Donald Boeding, President, Merchant Services at Vantiv. "Our agreement with Optimal Payments adds new distribution channels for Vantiv and helps Optimal expand its U.S. presence. We see this as another step in a great relationship that focuses on providing world-class service to merchant clients."