This alliance will enable BR-DGE’s merchants to access the fastest growing global payments network1, with Discover Global Network Cards spending over $550 billion globally in 2022. Further, utilising BR-DGE’s market-leading position, Discover Global Network will now have access to a global network that empowers merchants across travel, leisure, retail and beyond. This will support the strong global acceptance trajectory of Discover Global Network, currently sitting at 70 million merchant acceptance points and millions of micro-merchants2.

This collaboration with Discover Global Network will help drive acceptance and enable BR-DGE merchants to provide greater payment optionality to customers seeking more from the checkout experience. BR-DGE merchants will be able to accept cards that run on Discover Global Network, ensuring global customers can pay how, when and where they want. Earlier this year, BR-DGE research found that 32% of consumers say that availability of payment options is a high priority in their purchasing decisions, making it a key focus for merchants.

Crossing borders

Aligning with BR-DGE’s mission to help merchants build brand loyalty, Discover Global Network strives to offer cardholders a seamless payment experience. When combined with BR-DGE’s cross-border optimisation and market expansion capabilities, BR-DGE’s merchants will expand their offering to international travellers, including the 305M+ Discover Global Network Cardholders3 around the world, comprised of over 25 network alliances, Discover®, and Diners Club International® Cardholders.

Commenting on the recent news, Tom Voaden, Head of Partnership at BR-DGE said: “Discover is a global leader in payments, and we are delighted to now offer our merchants the ability to meet the needs of hundreds of millions of Discover card users. By joining with leading payment providers, such as Discover, we can continue offering merchants a platform that allows them to select the best payment solutions to help grow their business, build loyalty, and exceed consumer expectations.”

“BR-DGE is an innovative payment orchestrator that supports our focus in the travel and retail verticals, making it a valuable connection for us,” said Rajiv Gupta, vice president of international markets at Discover. “Our work together will enable access to our global payments network and help merchants streamline their payment processes.”

BR-DGE’s Partnership Program brings together over 300 payment providers and technology solutions to enable merchants to boost authorisation rates, optimise end-to-end payment journeys, increase their commercial leverage, and improve their overall payment resilience.

By leveraging BR-DGE’s independent payment orchestration platform and its network of market-leading payment innovators, Discover is empowered to acquire new merchants, accelerate onboarding, and gain access to a wealth of marketing and sales resources.

Led by CEO Thomas Gillan, BR-DGE is revolutionising online payments for merchants by offering a universe of payment options via a single point of integration. This reflects BR-DGE’s ambitions to work with partners across the payments space to give merchants full flexibility in their payment offerings and give consumers greater choice. Alongside promoting wider payment options, the BR-DGE platform also supports merchants in optimising customer experiences, reducing friction while improving security and building customer loyalty.