- HBL and UnionPay will work together to offer the expanded ‘QuickPass’ service, which will allow goods and services to be paid for online and in person.
- According to the two firms, all new cards will be issued with the new service integrated already – but existing cards will have the service added retrospectively.
- UnionPay International is part of the Chinese firm China UnionPay, and HBL is a multinational Pakistani bank.
A pair of firms working in the Middle East market have announced a new collaboration designed to expand access to contactless cards and online money transfer services.
HBL, which was one of the first private banks to operate in Pakistan, is already associated with the brand UnionPay International.
UnionPay International, which is a part of the Chinese firm UnionPay, has a Regional Member Council based in the Middle East – meaning that HBL cards are currently issued by UnionPay.
HBL already sits on this council – so the new contactless card payments system to be launched by UnionPay will be able to be integrated seamlessly.
According to UnionPay, any HBL bank cards that are powered by UnionPay are now ready to use the firm’s ‘QuickPass’ service.
This service allows the firm’s customers to pay for goods and services on a contactless basis in payment environments around the world.
It has been described as “interoperable”, and fits with global EMV (which originally stood for ‘Europay, Mastercard, and Visa’) specifications.
A range of locations, such as grocery stores and petrol stations, can use QuickPass, and many e-commerce locations, such as online shops, can accept the service.
While the activation of the service is in part retrospective, new cards will be issued with QuickPass enabled as a default.
In a press statement, UnionPay International shared more information about how the new move will positively affect customers of HBL – including the offering of “secure and seamless” payment processes.
“As one of the world’s largest card schemes, UnionPay is committed to providing secure and seamless payment experiences to our cardholders worldwide,” it said.
The firm also said that it would provide an improved user experience for card users, and that it would be “innovative” in terms of tech performance.
“This partnership featuring the innovative means of contactless payment will further enhance the customer experience in terms of flexibility, convenience and efficiency for the HBL’s customers.”
The firm added that it was working with a huge, card-friendly customer base already.
“UnionPay International provides high quality, cost effective and secure cross-border payment services to the world's largest cardholder base,” it said.
According to UnionPay, it works with well over 2,000 volunteers across the globe.
It can take cards in nearly 180 nations around the world, while it issues cards in just over 60 such places.
UnionPay is one of many organisations offering cross-border payments options to its customers.
To learn more about how these firms may be able to help you send money abroad, check out our reviews pages.
