UnionPay is one of the largest card brands in the world, with over 3.5 billion cards issued worldwide. Since the majority of Chinese consumers carry UnionPay cards, in order to effectively sell to the widest possible pool of Chinese consumers, merchants need the ability to accept UnionPay cards on their websites. Planet Payment's solution does just that, by enabling merchants to participate in UPOP -- UnionPay's program to authenticate and process UnionPay cards online. UPOP allows merchants to more effectively tap into what is projected to be the world's largest eCommerce market by 2015 (Forbes Magazine, May, 31, 2012).

Planet Payment integrated the UPOP into iPay, the Company's payment gateway, providing merchants with the option of creating a customized payment experience using Planet Payment's API or leveraging iPay's Hosted Payment Page for an easy-to-implement solution. Merchants can obtain UPOP directly from Planet Payment as a standalone solution, allowing merchants to gain the benefit of the UPOP solution without disrupting any of their existing processing relationships. Planet Payment will also be adding UPOP to its Shop in Your Currency service, allowing merchants to localize their offering and simplify the shopping experience by enabling Chinese consumers to view pricing and pay in RMB, while the merchant receives settlement in either United States Dollars or Canadian Dollars.

UPOP also features an SMS-based authentication system that can help merchants minimize fraudulent transactions. Once a cardholder enters their card details in the payment page, UnionPay sends a PIN Code to the cell phone that is registered to the UnionPay card. The cardholder is then prompted to enter this PIN to complete the transaction -- providing a strong form of customer authentication.
International Checkout, a leading third-party payment and fulfillment service for US retailers selling globally online, is the first merchant to launch Planet Payment's UPOP solution in the United States. The company provides its global eCommerce solution to more than 1500 retailers and brands, including bebe, Andrew Marc, Alice + Olivia, and Joie.

"At International Checkout, our mission is to provide merchants with the tools to increase sales by expanding internationally, while offering consumers easy access to an array of premier online merchants," said Saskia Chiesa, President and CEO at International Checkout. "We are thrilled to add UPOP to our product offering through our relationship with Planet Payment and make selling to China, and shopping from China, easier for both our merchants and their customers."
"UnionPay is a significant addition to our eCommerce product set," said Philip D. Beck, Chairman and CEO of Planet Payment. "We believe that our UPOP solution is an important tool for merchants seeking to sell more products and services to the strategically significant Chinese eCommerce market."

Planet Payment is now accepting applications for the UPOP solution from merchants in the United States and Canada.