Paris, 24th July 2013
SOCIÉTÉ GÉNÉRALE OFFERS ITS MERCHANTS THE PAYMENT SERVICE OF UNIONPAY CARD
Société Générale and UnionPay International have signed an agreement to permit the acceptance of UnionPay cards at Société Générale merchants in France and Monaco.
This new agreement reinforces the two groups’ cooperation since March 2010, when Société Générale opened its 4,600 ATMs to UnionPay cards.
The merchants, clients of Société Générale, in France and in Monaco, frequented by Asian tourists, will be able to offer their clients to pay with their UnionPay card.
The Chinese tourists in France represent a client category with strong purchasing power. They are visiting France in increasing numbers, especially popular tourist areas like Paris, the Loire Valley, Cote d’Azur and the Bordeaux region. In 2014, the number of Chinese tourists may reach two million, and will increase continuously in coming years. The merchants frequently visited by Asian clients are hotels, luxurious brands shops, wine and spirits retailers.
For UnionPay International, it is also very important to gain access to the big merchant network of Société Générale, so that UnionPay cardholders are able to pay with their card at the targeted merchants in popular tourist areas.
To celebrate the signature of this agreement, a ceremony was organised on the 18th July 2013 at a venue particularly appreciated by Chinese tourists, LAVINIA wine shop in Paris (www.lavinia.com), in the presence of Mr. CAI Jianbo, CEO of UnionPay International and Mr. Pascal Augé, Global Transaction and Payment Services Director of Société Générale.