LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UnionPay International, the card payment organisation with the world’s largest cardholder base, today announces a partnership with Glovo, the Barcelona-based on-demand economy technology start-up, which enables UnionPay cardholders to use its app initially in Spain, Portugal, France and Italy.
Founded in 2015, Glovo is an on-demand economy technology start-up that allows local stores to offer their products in the same city through the GLOVO App and supports intermediates in the delivery of such products. It is currently present in 22 countries including Croatia, France, Georgia, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain and Ukraine.
This new partnership with Glovo enables UnionPay cardholders to make a wider range of purchases without the need to leave home. To encourage take up of the service while some lockdown measures are still in place, UnionPay customers have been offered free delivery until 15 August in Spain, Portugal and France.
UnionPay acceptance in France, Italy, Portugal and Spain has grown significantly in the last 12 months with a large number of online and offline merchants now accepting UnionPay cards. UnionPay’s cardholder base comprises Chinese ex-pats living and working in Europe, students from Asian countries, as well as a rapidly increasing domestic customer base among European nationals. This is particularly the case in Portugal where last year Millennium bcp became the first European bank to issue UnionPay cards.
Wei Zhihong, UnionPay International’s Market Director and Head of Europe said: “As one of the largest bankcard schemes worldwide, we are committed to providing payment ease for our cardholders. In this difficult time, we are making an extra effort, together with our partners, to offer safer and easier services to support our cardholders in Europe. We are very pleased to have reached a partnership with one of the world’s leading on-demand economy technology start-ups. Glovo is a company which has grown rapidly since its foundation in 2015 and through this new partnership the reach of its app is extended to our cardholders.
“With consumer behaviour changing as a result of COVID-19, more people are staying indoors and making purchases. This new partnership will enable our customers to benefit from Glovo’s platform and service, making purchases and arranging pick-ups without having to leave their own home. We are happy that we have been able to agree a delivery fee free period with Glovo to help keep costs down for cardholders. We look forward to announcing many more similar partnerships in the very near future.”
Sacha Michaud, Co-founder of Glovo said: “We are delighted to have reached a new partnership with UnionPay and hope that it represents the beginning of a long-term relationship which will benefit UnionPay card holders throughout France, Italy, Portugal and Spain. We look forward to working together on further partnerships as we move forward.”
With over 8.4 billion cards accumulatively issued worldwide, UnionPay is the card payment organisation with the world’s largest cardholder base. Its global network extends to 179 countries and regions, covering over 52 million merchants and more than 2.9 million ATMs worldwide.
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About UnionPay International
UnionPay International (UPI) is a subsidiary of China UnionPay focused on the growth and support of UnionPay’s global business. In partnership with more than 2300 institutions worldwide, UnionPay
International has enabled card acceptance in 179 countries and regions with issuance in 61 countries and regions. UnionPay International provides high quality, cost effective and secure cross-border payment services to the world’s largest cardholder base and ensures convenient local services to a growing number of global UnionPay cardholders and merchants.
For more information, please visit: www.unionpayintl.com/en
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