Initially the partnership will focus on Poland via eService, which is owned by PKO Bank Polski and since 2014 is also a part of EVO.

eService processes transactions for over 460,000 payment terminals (2Q2019) operating in Poland as well as several other countries in Europe. It offers access to all major card schemes and supports phone proximity payments such as Google Pay and Apple Pay. eService also offers e-commerce tools and comprehensive payment solutions for large and medium-sized enterprises.

This announcement follows MYPINPAD being recognised as the first company in the world to achieve Payment Card Industry (PCI) Security Standards Council (SSC) certification for its software only Contactless Payments on Commercial off-the-shelf (CPoC) solution.

MYPINPAD’s solution is easily integrated into third party applications and delivered ‘As-a-Service’. It significantly reduces cost across the entire face-to-face payment ecosystem by meeting PCI security standards through software updates alone. This relieves pain-points such as the cost of traditional payment and POS hardware for the smallest retailers, while also serving larger retailers by significantly reducing maintenance, replacement costs of aging hardware-centric POS systems and ultimately providing stronger customer service with trusted and familiar devices.

CEO of MYPINPAD, Colin Greene, commented: “We are excited to have won this opportunity with a global acquiring partner. As merchants emerge from the ravages of the pandemic lockdown, eService’s new merchant proposals will remove barriers to entry and enable mobile digital acceptance at an increasing number of locations. This announcement is another key milestone for MYPINPAD, and the industry, as we integrate into Europe with a leading global acquirer and continue driving mobile device acceptance exponentially.”

Visa approved the solution to authorize contactless payments with PIN capture through its ‘Tap to Phone’ program. ‘Tap to Phone’ makes it easy for merchants and consumers alike to use smartphones when making and accepting payments. It is as simple as downloading an app. This means millions more sellers everywhere can accept contactless payments using current-generation mobile devices, while also getting access to other benefits such as reduced charge back potential and low MSF rates. Customers win too, as they can make payments in seconds, both in-store and at home online, providing a true omnichannel experience that is safe and seamless.

CEO of eService - Joanna Seklecka adds: “Poland is a world leader in the acceptance of contactless transactions, and our customers across Europe are open to innovative digital payment technologies that we bring to the market in cooperation with the best global technology providers. Today, once again, we are proud to announce a solution that will enhance the possibilities of convenient and secure payment acceptance on mobile devices.”

The European market is prime to benefit from this collaboration, as it is highly geared towards contactless payments. In the third quarter of 2019, over one billion contactless transactions were made across the continent, an eight per cent increase compared to the previous quarter. Moving with the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and increased need for contactless transactions, Poland recently doubled its contactless card transaction limit from 50 zloty (€9.93) to 100 zloty (€19.86).

Katarzyna Zubrzycka, Head of Merchant Sales and Acquirers, Central Eastern Europe at Visa, said: “Today, billions of people expect the convenience of paying with their cards wherever they shop. Yet, there are still situations when using a card isn’t an option: the outdoor market, that food truck, that new, family-run business. Millions of small and micro-businesses worldwide struggle with the burdens of traditional acceptance. So Visa is democratizing access to payment experiences that consumers increasingly expect.”