Smart Bits: Big Hong Kong Grocer To Accept Visa Cash

Park'N Shop, Hong Kong's largest supermarket chain, has agreed to accept Visa Cash stored-value cards.

Visa International's Asia-Pacific regional office announced the signing Aug. 20 with Bank of China (International) Ltd., the merchant-acquiring bank for 170-store Park'N Shop.

Bank of China is also actively promoting its own issuance of Visa Cash.

The Visa chip card and Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp.'s competing Mondex program have had significant early successes in Hong Kong, a market seen as especially receptive to new technologies.

"With the addition of major retailers like Park'N Shop, Visa Cash acceptance is becoming a regular, convenient, efficient, and reliable part of everyday life in Hong Kong," said Visa Asia-Pacific executive vice president Raymond Chan. "We are also laying the foundation for a true multifunction chip card" to include credit, debit, stored-value, and shopper-loyalty services.

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