SchlumbergerSema today announced that it is supplying the smart cards and associated personalization and deployment services for Europe's largest smart payment card co-branding project.
SchlumbergerSema today announced that it is supplying the smart cards and associated personalization and deployment services for Europe's largest smart payment card co-branding project - the groundbreaking BonusCard, a combined debit/credit and loyalty scheme run by Turkey's GarantiBank.
Smart solutions specialist SchlumbergerSema has already delivered nearly two million of its multi-application e-Galleon smart cards, which incorporate EMV (Europay, Mastercard, Visa)-compliant credit and debit functions, and a 'ready-to-go' loyalty application.
GarantiBank relies on SchlumbergerSema as its supplier based on the strength of the company's track record in EMV migration and the breadth of its end-to-end solutions capabilities, plus its local presence in Turkey - essential for providing the high levels of support vital for smooth and rapid migration to smart payment standards.
GarantiBank is one of the leading private banks in Turkey, providing consumer, commercial and corporate banking services through a global network. The BonusCard scheme was initiated in early 2000, and today 100 retail partners have joined in the project. It is the largest such scheme in Europe, and creates the critical mass vital to attracting new customers and maintaining the loyalty of existing ones. Its simplicity and flexibility are key to its success: GarantiBank's customers earn loyalty points when they use their credit/debit cards in participating retail outlets, which include white goods stores and sports shops, as well as petrol stations and supermarkets. These points are stored securely on the cards, for the consumers to spend at any of those outlets, whenever they choose.
"Today's consumers are extremely astute. None of us in the banking community can afford to take their loyalty for granted, and we knew we had to create a scheme that would deliver real value," said Mehmet Sezgin, general manager, Garanti Payment Systems. "Migration to EMV gives us a great opportunity to gain a real competitive advantage through new services, and SchlumbergerSema is the ideal partner to maximize that advantage by establishing a fast, smooth and secure track to market."
"We know that multi-application smart cards offer enormous opportunities for the banking community, but technology's only part of the story, which needs players with vision and flair to really take the market forward," said Tony Ball, vice president, e-transaction cards, EMEA, SchlumbergerSema. "GarantiBank has created a new paradigm for co-branding, one where multiple partners establish the critical mass that acts like a magnet to consumers."
