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The Pulse electronic funds transfer network's agreement with Interac, Canada's lone debit card network, is part of a global strategy to increase ATM acceptance of the Diners Club card, David R. Schneider, Pulse president, tells CardLine Global sister publication ATM&Debit News. "First and foremost, the agreement is to support the Diners Club network," Schneider says. Pulse's parent, Discover Financial Services LLC, purchased Diners Club International from Citigroup Inc. in April 2008 for US$165 million (115.9 million euros). Diners Club cardholders began withdrawing cash from some Canadian ATMs in July, Allen Wright, Interac vice president of products, tells ATM&Debit News. In October, Discover credit and Pulse debit cardholders can start to withdraw cash from participating Canadian ATMs. Under the agreement, Diners Club withdrawals initially are routed over Interac's network before Interac switches them to Houston-based Pulse. Last month, Venture Infotek Global Pvt. Ltd., an Indian processor, signed a long-term merchant-acquiring deal to acquire Diners Club and Discover transactions (CardLine Global, 20 Aug). And in March, Multipay AG, a Swiss company, agreed to acquire and process transactions for Diners Club and Discover credit cards (CardLine Global, 17 Aug).
