History of payfair
Current status
payfair Processing Platform
In August 2008, payfair signed a system
integration contract with Unisys in order to build
and deliver the components required for the
payfair operations in the market.
The whole platform has been delivered end of
April 2009. payfair transactions were tested
successfully in May 2009 while a first pilot was
launched in October 2009 at several Colruyt
supermarkets (Belgium).
The payfair platform is supporting acquiring
processing, switching and issuing processing.
While payfair is only anticipating market
evolution with central switch capabilities and
issuing processing services (to support nonbank
issuers), the acquiring function is mainly
designed to enable payfair to enter markets in
case acquirers would not be ready.
A pilot for the payfair@Internet module for
e-payments will start in the coming weeks on
several e-commerce websites, and other pilots
of e- and mobile payment solutions are in
preparation in several Central & eastern Europe
countries. A contactless solution will also be
available before year end.
In November 2010, the first new e-Luncheon
Voucher solution using the payfair acceptance
network will be launched in the Belgian market.
payfair Acquiring Licences
payfair is in negotiation to licence significant
acquirers within the SEPA zone. Once formalised,
the list of payfair acquirers will be displayed on
the payfair site. These initial acquirers are
considered as "Founding Partners" and are
supporting the deployment of payfair within the
SEPA region.
payfair Terminals
For Belgium, the Atos Worldline (ex Banksys)
terminals were payfair upgraded and are
available since end 2010. For terminals
provided by other terminal vendors (like CCV),
this
is also ongoing rapidly.
payfair Accepting Merchants
Current effor ts of payfair have been concen-
trated
on Belgium to replace the current
non-SEPA domestic brand Bancontact-Mister-
Cash. In that context, all retailers have signed
a letter of intent for the acceptance of payfair.
Deployment timeframes have been communicated
end of June 2009 confirming the feasibility
to have payfair implemented in all terminals by
end 2010 should a bank start issuing payfair.
payfair Issuing Institutions
Both Banks and non-banks are reviewing their
plans in the context of the SEPA implementation.
Today, payfair has an issuing pipeline of around
2.5 million cards. Further commitments are
expected to be made before end of Q4 2010.
“a revolution in digital
payments: one card for
every payment, loyalty
points, mobile phone,
and more”
