JCB appoints AxiCom to support Public Relations and Communications growth across Europe

LONDON, Jun 9, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – JCB International Co., Ltd., the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., today announced the appointment of AxiCom, WPP's technology specialist communications agency, as its PR agency of record in Europe, following a competitive pitch process. AxiCom will support JCB's growth in the region through strategic media relations and communications, as the company evolves as a data-driven global financial services provider.

Building on JCB's unique heritage, AxiCom's remit also includes growing brand recognition with merchants, acquiring partners and other target groups to assist in differentiating the company from other payment providers. JCB is entering into a new era as travel restrictions gradually ease, and with that in mind the JCB brand has prioritised carving out a niche space for JCB in a competitive European market – and AxiCom will support JCB in this endeavour.

In a recent brand study, JCB learned that although brand awareness in Europe is currently low, there is a phenomenal opportunity for growth, with the brand already being recognised as:
– Specialists in Asian cardmember insights and data to support partner prosperity
– Premium and high-quality with affluent cardmembers
– Collaborative and customer-centric with partnerships, based on trust and reliability
– Strong commitment to upholding Japanese legacy principles, such as Omotenashi

Ray Shinzawa, recently appointed as the Managing Director for JCB International (Europe) Ltd., explained: "The AxiCom team is a very welcome addition to the JCB network in this stimulating growth phase for JCB within Europe. We are eager to utilise their in-depth expertise in our very niche industry of payments and technology to drive JCB brand awareness cross-regionally – with the core purpose of unlocking new payment gateways for our 140 million international cardmembers and European business partners alike."

Victoria Perea-Usher, Vice President, Marketing Communications, JCB International (Europe) Ltd., said: "As we strive to innovate our marketing and communications, and be a trusted partner for our customers, it was crucial that we appoint a PR agency that could support our strategy. Throughout the pitch process, the AxiCom team presented us with contemporary ideas and ways of thinking that demonstrated a clear understanding of our technology and objectives across Europe, helping us to further engage with the JCB community."

The AxiCom team will be led by Director of Fintech, Robert Roessler and will include resources from AxiCom's European offices as well as the Content Hub.

Rosie Bannister, managing director UK at AxiCom, said: "The financial services industry is changing rapidly, meaning large and small brands need to adapt quickly to maintain their market position by translating their messages into stories that engage customers. Robert and his team are experts in building brand awareness through strategic media engagement that will firmly position JCB as a data-driven organisation dedicated to providing customers with a best-in-class payment experience."

About JCB

JCB is a major global payment brand and a leading credit card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes about 39 million merchants around the world. JCB issues cards across various countries and regions internationally with more than 140 million cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase its merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to providing responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.global.jcb/en/

About AxiCom

Founded in 1994, AxiCom is a technology specialist communications agency. We fuse intelligence, integrity and initiative to deliver powerful integrated communications for our clients that turn them into true technology heroes. At AxiCom, we translate technology. We bring the most meaningful message to the people our clients care about, wherever they are in the world. Our team of technology and communications experts make what's global local, and what's complex clear, turning separate systems into an integrated approach. AxiCom is part of the global communications group BCW Group and is the only specialist technology PR agency within the WPP Group (NYSE: WPP).

AxiCom Media Contact:
Ricky Broughton: ricky.broughton@axicom.com
+44 7552 212 026

JCB International (Europe) Ltd. Contact:
India Stone: istone@jcbeurope.eu

JCB (Head Office in Japan)
Ayaka Nakajima: jcb-pr@jcb.co.jp

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

E-Invoicing Exchange Summit Americas: The Future is Bright

KREUZLINGEN, CH, May 25, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – The 5th E-Invoicing Exchange Summit Americas took place in Miami from May 9 to 11, 2022. Over 100 experts, thought leaders and key decision-makers from 16 countries met in person to discuss the past, current, and future trends in electronic invoicing, procurement, and continuous transaction controls (CTCs).

Two very well attended interactive workshops kicked off the event. The first one was run by the Business Payment Coalition (BPC) discussing the next steps for an E-Invoice Exchange Framework for the U.S., and was followed by OpenPeppol exploring how the Peppol Network, international invoicing and CTCs, can be flexibly and progressively applied.

The wide acceptance and embrace of the four-corner-model was evident in the numerous presentations in testament of its usefulness, its features, and its success. Interesting case studies gave insights into the current experiments and future trends of automation, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Further subjects of debate included the harmonization of different initiatives towards a truly global interoperability framework, which was also the topic of a high-level expert panel. The mutual agreement of all participants was that the future is bright for this space and calls for international collaboration.

Once again, the E-Invoicing Exchange Summit has been a great space where the E-Invoicing and E-Reporting community exchanged ideas and benefitted from great networking opportunities. Numerous excellent discussions and face-to-face talks took place with customers, partners, and policy drivers on the convergence of the different E-Invoicing and E-Reporting models and how all can help reduce complexity and manage the transition to E-Invoicing and Continuous Transaction Controls.

The global E-Invoicing journey continues in Berlin June 20-21, Lisbon September 26-28, and in Singapore and Dubai (dates to be announced). The next edition of the E-Invoicing Exchange Summit Americas will take place in Miami from April 24 to 26, 2023.

More information: www.exchange-summit.com

About Vereon AG
Vereon AG organises leading-edge seminars, conferences and workshops addressing current business issues. Distinguished experts in research, science, industry and politics regularly present practical solution approaches and pioneering trends. Leaders and specialists from all sectors appreciate these information platforms for building knowledge, exchanging experience and making valuable new contacts.

Press Contact:
Vereon AG | Public Relations | Hauptstrasse 54 | CH-8280 Kreuzlingen
e: presse@vereon.ch | https://www.exchange-summit.com/insights/media-pr

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

AEON Credit Service Launches AEON CARD WAKUWAKU at the Forefront in Addressing Consumer Spending Habits Amid New Normal

HONG KONG, May 3, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – AEON Credit Service (Asia) Limited ("AEON Credit Service" or the "Group"; stock code: 00900) launched its brand-new AEON CARD WAKUWAKU on 1 May 2022, marking the introduction of the Group's first CashBack credit card geared towards fans of online shopping, as part of its efforts to expand its customer base and capitalise on the growing trend of digital transactions and online shopping. The Group has also signed popular Hong Kong singer Jace Chan to act as an endorser of the newly launched credit card.

AEON Credit Service launches brand-new and first CashBack credit card AEON CARD WAKU WAKU

The AEON CARD WAKUWAKU, debuted as the Group's hero product this year, targets online shopping fans and the younger generation with an array of attractive rewards and offers. Boasting simple CashBack functionality, a colourful physical appearance complemented by a fun and original character mascot "MUK MUK LUK", the brand-new credit card has been designed to gear towards younger customers in alignment with the Group's plans to broaden its market reach to new target groups. The Group has also engaged Jace Chan as an endorser of the AEON CARD WAKUWAKU for her youthful and vibrant image and her love of online shopping, which closely echoes with the credit card's function design and is expected to raise awareness of the product within the younger population. In order to stimulate spending and optimise the customer experience, AEON CARD WAKUWAKU offers a simple cash rebate system for online spending and food delivery both locally and overseas all year round. To encourage customers to get familiar with its digital systems, those who successfully apply for the AEON CARD WAKUWAKU through the "AEON HK" mobile app, which has been upgraded with greater convenience and efficiency in its credit card application function, can enjoy extra cash rebates.

In addition, AEON Credit Service will also roll out the "Everywhere Spending Rewards Promotion" offer from 4 May to 10 August 2022, and the "Happy Summer Rewards" programme in collaboration with Tuen Mun Town Plaza from 5 May to 5 July 2022 to further capture the positive consumer sentiment boosted by the second round of the Consumption Voucher Scheme in Hong Kong. The Group has been making greater efforts on diversifying marketing channels and programmes so as to stay competitive and capitalise on the rebound of economic activities.

Alongside the surge in e-commerce stores and online payment systems, the pandemic has provided a further boost to the growing trends of online shopping and cashless transactions, in particular within the younger generation. With the launch of the new AEON CARD WAKUWAKU, together with the signing of Jace Chan as an endorser, the Group is expected to be well positioned to capture the market opportunities arising from the changes in consumer behaviour and expand its brand presence among the younger population. Going forward, the Group will continue to refine its business model to adapt and meet evolving customer needs amid the new normal.

About AEON Credit Service (Asia) Company Limited (HKEX: 00900)
AEON Credit Service (Asia) Company Limited, a subsidiary of AEON Financial Service Co., Ltd. (TSE: 8570) and a member of the AEON Group, was set up in 1987 and listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited in 1995. The Group is principally engaged in the consumer finance business, which includes the issuance of credit cards and the provision of personal loan financing, card payment processing services, insurance agency and brokerage business in Hong Kong and microfinance business in Mainland China.

For more information, please visit the company's website at www.aeon.com.hk.

Media Inquiries
Strategic Financial Relations Limited
Vicky LEE / Brigid LEE / Albert CHU
Tel: (852) 2864 4834 / 2114 4313 / 2114 4955
E-mail: sprg_acsa@sprg.com.hk

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Institutions maintain ‘buy’ rating as Yeahka (09923.HK) records fast growth

HONG KONG, Sep 2, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Institutions from China and abroad, including Citi, CLSA, Daiwa, China Securities, Zhongtai International and Guosheng Securities, have maintained "Buy" rating for Yeahka (09923.HK), underscoring their confidence with the prospects of the company's technology-enable business services. Yeahka, which has payment as its other major business, has achieved rapid growth in the first half of 2021, according to its interim results announced on Aug 26.

Citi views Yeahka's strategy stable fee rate and revenue sharing trend to boost merchants base "as largely in line with overall industry outlook", and believes "that continued investment to acquire traffic and investment in business (such as in-store ecommerce services) will make more meaningful contribution in the longer term leveraging Yeahka's solid execution".

A CLSA report expects Yeahka's GPV continues to increase, while the technology-enabled business achieving fast growth. "The company also started to provide in-store e-commerce services in Dec 2020, business that is upgraded from marketing services, to provide closer connection between merchants and consumers, and to create direct sales growth for merchants. Revenue was Rmb44.9m in 1H21, with the number of paid consumers more than 1.42m and GMV exceeded Rmb71.0m," the report noted. It expects the new business to "serve as a new engine for growth".

Guosheng Securities expects Yeahka's annual revenues from precision marketing, merchants SaaS product, and in-store ecommerce service to reach 2.8 billion, 4.2 billion and 7.2 billion RMB in the next three years, while net profit attributable to parent company reaching 476 million, 517 million and 1.039 billion RMB. This estimation, based on Yeahka's closing price of 27 HKD on Aug 25, gives the company PE ratio from 2021-2023 at 39, 36, and 18 times.

Guosheng sees the company benefit from acquisition of Chuangzinzhong, and efforts in online advertising service, as both agent and producer. With access to media platforms including TikTok, Toutiao, and Kuaishou, the services will promise more users to Yeahka's marketing service.

Guosheng also sees Juhuisaosao, Yuehuiquan and Haoshengyi, of Fushi, as gateways for Yeakha to introduce its other products. That will help boost the company's merchant SaaS users, as well as bringing high rise to ARPU.

"We stay confident with the long-term prospect of the company's payment and technology-enabled business services," Zhongtai International holds a similar view, noting Yeahka's businesses are closely inter-connected.

Yeahka would first boost its merchant base through payment services. As more transactions happen, Yeahka would then get deeper understanding of merchants' activities, and, through this process, accumulate a massive data of user trend. Based on data analyses, it would then offer different VAS to make monetization possible, and further expanding its business to achieve continued growth, Zhongtai further elaborates.

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Bussr to Reach $1 Billion in Sales on Its Mobility Platform in 2022

SINGAPORE, Sep 2, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Bussr offers a mobility payment solutions platform for businesses and users, powering payments infrastructure for the mobility market using the latest booking and ticketing innovations. More than 800 businesses have already signed on to use Bussr's platform, 100 of which, amounting to US$150 million in annual sales, will go live in 2021.

Bussr believes that every trip and transaction should empower people to move and connect, with the smallest carbon footprint possible. Every Bussr trip considers distance and environmental impact as well as the ability to reduce urban congestion.

Bussr is also in the advanced discussion stage with the Indonesian Government to digitize the metro transit ecosystem, with an expected 10 million daily users.

Bussr's innovative offerings extend to disrupting the last-mile logistics space; delivery brands and retailers will have a simple, automated way of integrating and adding the most relevant payment options to their business model, delighting their customers with affordable same-day delivery.

The mobility sector is an immense $2 trillion market that still relies on paper cash, fax machines, and manila envelopes. By 2050, the global population is projected to increase to around 9.8 billion, with more than twice as many people living in urban areas than in rural settings. The need for innovation in the mobility and logistics payments sector is clear.

"We are tackling a massive $2 trillion market, developing modern software for an industry that still relies on woefully outmoded paper-based systems. We bring security, efficiency, and joy to a paper-based pillar of the global market economy. We want to empower mobility and logistics partners with the right tools for their users. Mobility providers will be able to offer seamless payment options across the entire mobility ecosystem," said Hussein, CEO of Bussr.

Bussr's payment solutions platform allows mobility businesses of all types to have bespoke booking and ticketing solutions for their respective markets. For operators, brands, and retailers, getting onboard with Bussr is a near-effortless three-step process:
1. Get your branded mobile app and website
2. Add your product with prices and descriptions
3. Choose your payment options and start selling

The overarching theme of efficiency runs deeper — Bussr understands that its responsibilities will ultimately impact people and the planet alike. This means that every trip and transaction should empower people to move and connect, all the while with the smallest carbon footprint possible. Every trip considers distance and environmental impact as well as its ability to reduce urban congestion.

With the complex goal of changing the way people connect across cities and countries, Bussr benefits from its strong leadership trio: tech entrepreneur Hussein Abdelkarim, former Rocket Internet founder and CEO, I.M. Shousha, veteran technology consultant and co-founder, and Ajay Bhandari, former Microsoft Chief Architect, CTO, and co-founder.

It's no surprise that Bussr promises an exciting ride ahead for all on board. To learn more about Bussr, and its goal to digitize mobility and connect the world, join the dialogue at www.bussr.com.

Contact:
HA, Bussr Technologies
E: press@bussr.com
U: https://www.bussr.com

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Xfers & SEBA Bank Named Finalists for Global CBDC Challenge organised by the Monetary Authority of Singapore

SINGAPORE, Sep 1, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Xfers, a Southeast Asia based payments leader holding a Major Payment Institution (MPI) license for e-money issuance, together with its partner, SEBA Bank, a FINMA licensed Swiss Bank providing a seamless, secure, and easy-to-use bridge between digital and traditional assets, today announced that they have been named among the 15 finalists for the Global Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Challenge organised by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

Launched by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and in partnership with the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, United Nations Capital Development Fund, United Nations High Commission for Refugees, United Nations Development Programme, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Global CBDC Challenge calls for FinTech companies, financial institutions and solution providers around the world to submit innovative retail CBDC solutions to enhance payment efficiencies and promote financial inclusion.

The joint proposal submitted by Xfers and SEBA Bank was shortlisted from over 300 applications representing over 50 countries and will be presented to the public and a panel of judges at the Singapore Fintech Festival on November 8th, 2021.

Launched in October 2020, StraitsX by Xfers is the first stablecoin initiative focusing on Southeast Asia and issues the StraitsX Singapore dollar, XSGD, a digital token available on the Ethereum and Zilliqa blockchain that is backed one-for-one with the Singapore dollar.

Aymeric Salley, Head of StraitsX, said, "We are delighted to be named finalists for the CBDC challenge by the MAS. We look forward to continuing leveraging our experience as Singapore's first stablecoin issuer, and working closely with our partner, SEBA Bank, which comes with a wealth of expertise and practical experience in developing CBDCs, having just completed a CBDC experiment with Banque de France in June this year."

Founded in 2018, SEBA Bank is a fully licensed FINMA banking and securities dealer. In June this year, SEBA Bank completed a successful CBDC experiment with the Banque de France, which demonstrated the capacity of distributed ledger technologies to communicate with the Eurosystem's settlement platform TARGET2-Securities for the settlement of listed securities. This testing is an important contribution towards the development of an EU wide CBDC.

Matthew Alexander, Head of Digital Corporate Finance & Asset Tokenisation SEBA Bank, commented, "We are thrilled to have been selected by the MAS for this CBDC challenge amongst such a prestigious group of institutions. We look forward to working with our partner Xfers and contributing both our Digital Asset capabilities and recent experience working with the Banque de France CBDC to support the MAS and the Singapore financial centre. At SEBA Bank, we are constantly striving for innovation in the development of digital currencies and digital asset infrastructure. This selection, alongside our partners Xfers, by MAS as a finalist in the CBDC challenge, is a significant validation of our innovation in the development of digital currencies, and builds on our work supporting the Banque de France in CBDC testing. The shortlisting by MAS is testament to SEBA Bank's extensive network and operations in APAC, with the recent appointment of Sam Lin as APAC CEO, and headcount growth in our Singapore and Hong Kong hubs, further solidifying our presence in the region."

About StraitsX by Xfers

StraitsX is the pioneering payments infrastructure for the digital assets space in Southeast Asia developed by Singapore-based FinTech Xfers, which is a Major Payment Institution licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore for e-money issuance. StraitsX offers personal and business accounts to deposit, hold and withdraw funds as well as to connect their accounts to digital asset platforms. Business accounts can also access B2B API-enabled payments rails for digital asset platforms and issues the Singapore Dollar-backed stablecoin, XSGD.

About SEBA Bank – The Future of Digital Banking, Investing & Financing

Founded in April 2018 and headquartered in Zug, SEBA Bank is a pioneer in the financial industry and the only global smart bank providing a fully universal suite of regulated banking services in the emerging digital economy. In August 2019, SEBA Bank received a Swiss banking and securities dealer licence – the first time a reputed, regulatory authority such as FINMA has granted a licence to a financial services provider with a core capability in digital assets. The broad, vertically integrated spectrum of services combined with the highest security standards, make SEBA Bank's value proposition unique – this is why Banque de France selected SEBA Bank to test the integration of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). CVVC Global Report and CB Insights named SEBA Bank as Top 50 Companies within the blockchain ecosystem. Aite Group awarded SEBA Bank with their 2021 Digital Wealth Management Impact Innovation Award in the category "Digital Startup of the Year". For more information please visit seba.swiss.

For media queries
PRecious Communications for Xfers
xfers@preciouscomms.com

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Yeahka Announces 2021 Interim Results

HONG KONG, Aug 26, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Yeahka Limited ("Yeahka" or the "Company") (Stock Code: 9923), a leading payment-based technology platform in China, is pleased to announce the interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2021 (the "Reporting Period" or the "first half").

Financial Highlights
— During the Reporting Period, the Company's total revenue reached RMB1,402 million, representing a YoY increase of 30.2%. Revenue from technology-enabled business services increased rapidly by 86.6% to RMB358 million.
— The Company recorded net profit of RMB291 million, growing 30.7% YoY; adjusted net profit grew 142.2% YoY to RMB318 million. Earnings per share was RMB 0.71.
— Revenue of the Company's SaaS digital solutions was nearly RMB27.34 million, an increase of 134.3% YoY.
— Revenue from fintech services amounted to RMB42.72 million, representing a YoY increase of 18.7%. The total amount of loans that the Company facilitated was approximately RMB537.3 million, with a weighted average tenure of 10.2 months.
— Precision marketing services revenue was RMB240 million, an increase of nearly 68.5% YoY.
— The newly launched in-store e-commerce service recorded revenue of RMB44.95 million.

Operational Highlights
— The total gross payment volume ("GPV") of the payment services has recorded significant growth and exceeded RMB990.4 billion, up 56.1% YoY. Of which, app-based payment services GPV increased by 72.9% YoY, accounting for 61.8% of total GPV, up from 55.8% in the same period of last year. The peak daily count of QR code payment transactions was nearly 42 million.
— The scale of merchants and consumers traffic within the Company's ecosystem has continuously fueled the rapid growth of technology-enabled business services. The number of technology-enabled business service customers reached 1.69 million representing a YoY increase of 188.9% in the first half of 2021.
— For the newly established in-store e-commerce platform, the number of paid consumers was more than 1.42 million and the gross merchandise value ("GMV") from the platform exceeded RMB71 million.

Mr. Luke Liu, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the Company, said, "The recovery of China's real economy in the first half of 2021 has provided Yeahka a perfect opportunity to expand its business from payments to digital technology-enabled services. With that we continued to innovate and meet the diverse needs of merchants and consumers. Regarding the merchant ecosystem, the number of active payment service merchants increased 30.6% year-on-year ("YoY") to approximately 6.13 million. For the consumer ecosystem, by focusing on small and high-frequency purchases for offline payment services case scenarios, the number of consumers reached via our merchant ecosystem grew by 67.2% YoY to 822.4 million. Through the continuous innovation of our mobile payment and technology-enabled business services, we cater to the needs of merchants and consumers alike. On commercial digitalization, we focus on improving the operating efficiency for our merchants. To achieve this, we continued to optimize and upgrade our self-developed SaaS digital solutions through deployment of a series of upgrade modules which help enhance the stores' economics. Moreover, on top of helping merchants improve their brand awareness through our marketing services, we are also dedicated to improving merchants' sales directly. In achieving this, we launched the in-store e-commerce service, where merchants can now easily create various forms of promotions to connect millions of consumers through our online and offline sales network.

Mr. Liu continued, "Technology-enabled services continued to grow rapidly, the number of technology-enabled business service customers surged 189% YoY, and its gross profit contribution also increased significantly to 43.5%, from 34.9% in the same period last year. The Company's growth of payment traffic has significantly accelerated in the first half of the year through building a diversified channel system and attractive fee rate policies, which support business enablement, consumer insights and outreach. With our full confidence in the Company's growth strategy and focus to incentivize our core talent, the Company recently announced a share purchase program of up to a total of US$100 million. The repurchased shares will be used for the issuance of restricted shares to outstanding employees.

Outlook
We are committed to establishing a commercial digitalized ecosystem with strong self-reinforcing network effect. Based on its favorable initiatives for different brands, merchants, consumers, marketing personnel, advertisers and other participants, the Company conducts cross-selling for participants across its entire ecosystem to maximize monetization and facilitate the growth and success of the digital economy.

In the future, the Company will continue to explore the value of traffic and data derived from payments, led by its experienced production and research team in order to extend the boundaries of its business and promote technology innovation and digital solutions among merchants and consumers. The Company will also strive to become an integrated internet service provider and create sustainable long-term value for shareholders, employees and society.

About YEAHKA LIMITED (Stock Code: 9923.HK)
Yeahka is a leading payment-based technology platform dedicated to creating value for merchants and consumers. The Company was listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited under stock code 09923.HK. The Company's vision is to build a commercial digitalized ecosystem to enable seamless, convenient and reliable payment transactions among merchants and consumers, and to further provide a rich portfolio of diversified technology-enabled business services, including (i) SaaS digital solutions, which help customers improve their operating efficiency; (ii) precision marketing services, which allow customers to effectively reach their target markets; (iii) fintech services, which satisfy customers' diversified financing needs; and (iv) in-store e-commerce services, which help merchants to increase sales and consumers to enjoy local lifestyle discount benefits.

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Boku launches M1ST, the world’s largest mobile payments network, connecting Southeast Asia Digital Consumers to global merchants

SINGAPORE, Aug 18, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Boku Inc. (AIM: BOKU) today announced the launch of the M1ST (aka Mobile First), the world's largest mobile payments network. The M1ST Payments Network features an unrivalled 330+ mobile payment methods, including mobile wallets, direct carrier billing, and real-time payments schemes, reaching 5.7 billion mobile payment accounts in 90 countries – all through a single integration.

By 2022, middle class in Southeast Asia is expected to wield over US$300 billion in disposable income. The region's middle class is expected to double to 51 per cent in 2030 from 24 per cent in 2020 – or from 135 million people to 334 million people. According to the World Bank, 45% of consumers globally use mobile wallets vs. just 18% that use credit cards for payments. In Boku's 2021 Mobile Wallets Report showed that Southeast Asia will become the fastest growing mobile wallet region in the world: the number of mobile wallets in use by SEA consumers is projected to increase by nearly 25.5% to reach 439.7 million mobile wallets in use by the end of 2025.

"In a Confidence Index survey, 52 per cent of the merchants in SEA experienced a high level of growth during H1 2021 and 70 per cent of these merchants are expecting additional growth of more than 10 per cent in Q3 2021. This shows that despite the challenging times, digital consumers continue to make purchases digitally. The launch of M1ST will not only allow SEA merchants and digital consumers to connect within the region, but also to global markets seamlessly, with a payment method that is useful and convenient to them," said Loke Hwee Wong, Vice President and General Manager, APAC at Boku.

However, mobile payment acceptance for global merchants is highly complex, especially due to the extreme fragmentation of mobile payment methods. M1ST solves a number of these challenges so that merchants can easily accept mobile payments, globally, and at scale, including:

– Standardization – M1ST removes the complexity of disparate technical, legal and contractual considerations, simplifying 330+ payment methods into a single, scheme-like network.
– Digitally Native – M1ST enabled payments are built to support the 0-tap subscriptions and 1-tap checkout transactions that enable new, online business models.
– Future-Proofed – By 2025, nearly 60% of consumers globally are projected to be using mobile wallets; the M1ST Network follows market demand to maximize merchant acceptance.
– Global Settlement – M1ST delivers merchants a single, global settlement, eliminating the complexity of local taxes, foreign exchange, and cash repatriation.
– Local Legal Infrastructure – Through payment licenses and local entities, M1ST is capable of accepting regulated payments in nearly 50 countries.

M1ST is designed to eliminate the difficulty of mobile payment acceptance so that merchants can accept mobile payments more quickly, at lower cost, and focus on building world-class user experiences that drive long-term, valuable relationships with their customers.

"We've seen a fundamental shift of consumer purchasing power from west to east, from established to emerging markets, and from credit cards to mobile payments. Today, we're launching the M1ST Network to enable global merchants to acquire, monetize, and retain mobile-first consumers," said Jon Prideaux, CEO of Boku. "For merchants to capitalize on the massive potential of mobile-first consumers, they need to accept the payment methods they have and prefer, which are increasingly behind glass screens, not rectangular pieces of plastic. We've spent the past decade delivering new customers to our merchants through mobile payments. Now that mobile payments have overtaken credit cards globally, merchant acceptance has moved from a competitive advantage to a strategic imperative."

About Boku

Boku Inc. (AIM: BOKU) is the fintech powering the world's largest mobile payments network, M1ST (Mobile First). With 45% of global consumers using mobile payment methods to buy goods online, compared to 18% using credit cards, the future of commerce is mobile-first. Boku's technology platform helps the world's most demanding merchants attract, convert, and retain customers using mobile payments. By turning payments infrastructure into a source of sustainable competitive advantage, Boku safely activates a range of new merchant business models – from bundling to subscriptions.

Boku's platform is used in 90 countries with more than a billion verified transactions in 2020, contributing more than $8 billion to the digital economy. Customers that trust Boku to simplify sign-up, acquire new paying users and prevent fraud include global leaders such as Apple, DAZN, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Netflix, PayPal, Sony, Spotify and Tencent.

Boku Inc. was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in London, UK, with offices in Brazil, China, Estonia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the US. To learn more about Boku please visit: https://www.boku.com

Boku in Asia

In Asia, Boku's payment partners for Mobile Wallets include: AliPay, Dana, GCash, GoPay, GrabPay, KakaoPay, LINE Pay, Ovo, PayMaya, PayPay, Toss, Touch 'n Go, Truemoney
Boku also partners with payment partners to offer Direct Carrier Billing: AIS, BSNL, Celcom, Digi, dtac, Globe, Indosat Ooredoo, Jio, Korea Telecom, KDDI, LG U+, Maxis, M1, NTT Docomo, StarHub, Singtel, Softbank, SK Telecom, Smart, Smartfren, Tata Docomo, Telkomsel, Three, TrueMove, Vodafone, XL (amongst others)

Enquiries:
PRecious Communications for Boku, Inc.
Singapore/Asia Pacific: Clarence Lim, boku@preciouscomms.com

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Cuentas and WaveMax Sign an Exclusive and Definitive JV Agreement for 1,000 Locations to Offer Advertising on WiFi6 Next Generation Patented Technology in Cuentas’ “Bodegas” Network throughout the USA

MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE, Jul 23, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Cuentas, Inc. (NASDAQ:CUEN & CUENW) ('Cuentas'), a leading FinTech provider (Top 4 Fintech) of mobile banking, digital wallet and payment solutions focused on Hispanic and Latino communities signed an exclusive, Definitive JV Agreement to rollout WaveMax's SharedWiFI6 patented technology (Wavemax Patent) in 1,000 locations. This Rollout will begin in the greater New York City Metropolitan Area with 500 Locations in NYC, 330 locations in New Jersey and 170 locations in Connecticut. The agreement also includes plans to roll out the service in other areas throughout the US. The parties will install advanced WiFi6 Access Points and Small Cells in these 1,000 "Bodega Stores" in a 50/50 joint venture. These will become Cuentas premium locations that will be near public train stations and mass transit hubs and will be offering all Cuentas products and services on secure networks. The WiFi6 service will enhance the customer experience while in the Bodega store, by automatically connecting them to SharedWiFi high speed internet and receive special in-store offers. Users at Cuentas Points of Sale (POS) locations will also receive promotions for the Cuentas GPR card and discounted products sold through the Cuentas Mobile App.

This unique agreement that our organizations are bringing to the market will allow Cuentas to enter the advertising ecosystem using major brands to advertise through mobile handsets and additionally Cuentas products & services will benefit from 50% discounts for most favored nation pricing on this digital advertising platform.

WaveMax's SharedFi patented technology allows for a shared network of WiFi access points and small cells. The user has access to this shared network and, if he has opted in, be impacted with location-based advertising. These ads are configured by advertisers using WaveMAX's dashboards targeting, manually or programmatically, the right audience, at the right time, and the right place.

"I am proud that we were able to sign a definitive agreement with WaveMax for their state of the art technology. This is the first time that Cuentas is announcing to its public shareholders that it was able to complete this unique agreement and I am looking forward to expand this network for the rest of Cuentas' Bodega network nationwide," said Arik Maimon, Cuentas Founder and Interim CEO.

"We are very pleased to enhance our original commitment to the first 1,000 bodegas in Cuentas' network. We are happy to add value to Cuentas' unique proposition in the US market and its Mobile Banking App," said Eduardo Velasco, WaveMAX CEO. (Shared Wi-Fi 6 Network)

"Cuentas was recently classified and deemed as a technology sector vertical (Technology Sector), we are very excited for the upcoming events of our company and we are very confident that Cuentas has a bright future," said Michael De Prado, Founder and Executive Vice Chairman of Cuentas.

ABOUT CUENTAS

Cuentas, Inc. (Nasdaq: CUEN & CUENW) is a Fintech company utilizing technical innovation together with existing and emerging technologies to deliver accessible, efficient and reliable mobile, new-era and traditional financial services to consumers. Cuentas is proactively applying technology and compliance requirements to improve the availability, delivery, reliability and utilization of financial services especially to the unbanked, underbanked and underserved segments of today's society. Its products are supported by its core methods, procedures, contracts and intellectual property. For more information, visit https://cuentas.com.

ABOUT WAVEMAX CORPORATION

WaveMax is a WiFi-5G sharing company leveraging US patented technology to create an ecosystem monetizing mobile interactions between Telcos, Retailers, Providers, Apps, and Users. WaveMax ecosystem in 2020 supported millions of Wi-Fi accesses and it is rapidly growing, creating new synergies and network effects.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains 'forward-looking statements', as that term is defined in section 27a of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and section 21e of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements in this news release, which are not purely historical, are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Except for the historical information presented herein, matters discussed in this news release contain forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements that are preceded by, followed by, or that include such words as 'estimate', 'anticipate', 'believe', 'plan' or 'expect' or similar statements are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release include statements relating to other publicly available information regarding Cuentas.

Contact:

Cuentas:
investor@cuentas.com
800-611-3622

WaveMax:
info@wavemaxcorp.com
512.902.8038

SOURCE: Cuentas, Inc.

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Study: More than half of the world’s population will use mobile wallets by 2025

SINGAPORE, Jul 8, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – The biggest report ever on the growth of mobile wallets projects that one in two people will use a mobile wallet by 2025. At the end of 2020, there were over 2.8 billion mobile wallets in use. That number is projected to increase by nearly 74% to reach 4.8 billion mobile wallets in use by the end of 2025 – nearly 60% of the world's population. The fastest growing markets are Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Africa & Middle East where mobile wallets are displacing cash and cards for more convenient digital payments.

Boku, a fintech pioneering the world's first global mobile payments network, has released its 2021 Mobile Wallets Report in partnership with digital technology analyst house Juniper Research, which provides insight into mobile wallet adoption and use in leading markets across the globe. In 2019, mobile wallets overtook credit cards to become the most widely used payment type globally and the shift to online driven by the pandemic has accelerated adoption. Mobile wallets use is growing rapidly across the world with emerging markets leading the way.

Key findings

– Southeast Asia is the fastest growing mobile wallet region
Mobile wallet use will grow by 311% between 2020-2025, reaching up 439.7 million wallets in use across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam from 141.1 million in 2020. The rise in e-Commerce and dominance of super-apps like Grab and Gojek, particularly in markets like the Philippines and Indonesia, is driving accelerated mobile wallet adoption.

– China reaches maturity but Japan, Korea and Taiwan set for hyper-growth
The Far East and China continues to be the largest mobile wallet region in the world with 1.34bn users in 2020. Market saturation is resulting in slowing growth in China with a CAGR of just 2.2% per year. Meanwhile, markets including Japan, Korea and Taiwan will continue to see accelerated adoption of mobile wallets with 98.4% market penetration by 2025.

– Africa & Middle East is the second biggest mobile wallet market
The second biggest mobile wallet market is set to grow by 147% between 2020-2025. This is driven by expanded usage of mobile money services such as M-Pesa which are increasingly offering additional services such as access to eCommerce.

– Latin American growth is being supercharged by eCommerce
This region is set to increase mobile wallet use by 166% between 2020-2025. Long held back by consumers' preference for cash-based payments and comparatively lower smartphone penetration, this is fast changing, and the region's eCommerce growth is supercharging mobile wallet use.

– Slow growth in Western Europe and North America
With 65% growth in Western Europe and 50% in North America by 2025, these regions will see the least amount of mobile wallet growth in the next five years. However, markets such as the UK are seeing a rise in card-based mobile wallets due to the adoption of contactless spurred on by the pandemic and shift towards cashlessness.

"While mobile wallets are being used on a global basis, we see two distinct types being used today. One is card-based mobile wallets, like Apple Pay and Google Pay, which provide an easier way to pay with cards people already have. The other is stored value mobile wallets, like AliPay and GrabPay, that enable consumers to transact with digital cash and are popular in emerging markets with fast-growing e-Commerce sectors," said Adam Lee, Chief Product Officer at Boku. "The markets that are set to grow the fastest are those with the lowest levels of card penetration, stored value wallets are thriving. In North America and Western Europe, which are dominated by card-based mobile wallets, we are seeing the slowest growth in mobile wallet adoption, as the technology provides merely incremental benefit."

"We are seeing clear bifurcation in the market between card-based mobile wallets in developed markets and stored value mobile wallets that are ubiquitous in Asia and rapidly growing in all emerging markets," concluded Lee.

"Southeast Asia is one of the most rapidly digitalising regions in the world. In 2020, the region added 400 million new internet users, with 70% of the region now online. Together with consumption trends brought about due to lockdowns during the pandemic, that has led to a familiarity with e-Commerce and an exponential rise in mobile wallet use," said Loke Hwee Wong, Vice President and General Manager, APAC at Boku. "This is also because the region was heavily dependent on cash and bank transfer before mobile wallet use, and the convenience and accessibility, especially with stored value mobile wallets, will see Southeast Asia leapfrog the rest of the world in mobile payment adoption."

The growth and bifurcation of mobile wallet use presents both an opportunity and challenge for merchants. The number of mobile wallets transacting over $1 billion per year is set to grow by 27% from 54 wallets in 2020 to 69 wallets by 2025. This provides a lucrative opportunity for merchants looking to acquire valuable customers, many of whom only use mobile wallets. However, not only are consumers using mobile wallets more, they are using more mobile wallets. Consumers in high growth markets such as India and Indonesia use an average of 2.74 wallets. This means that not only do merchants need to accept wallets but they need to ensure broad coverage across each target market.

"We are witnessing a paradigm shift in payments driven by mobile wallets. Mobile wallets have lowered the barrier to making digital payments and in parallel ushered billions of new consumers into eCommerce. These consumers are not in North America or Western Europe, they are in emerging markets, and while they don't have credit cards, they overwhelmingly have mobile wallets," said Jon Prideaux, CEO at Boku. "For global merchants, mobile payment acceptance is not about accepting one type of mobile wallet or another, but ensuring that consumers in every market will have the required selection on payment types in order to monetize transactions."

To download the 2021 Mobile Wallets Report please visit: http://boku.mobilewallet.report/

About Boku

Boku Inc. (AIM: BOKU) is a fintech pioneering the world's first global, mobile payments network. With 45% of global consumers using mobile payment methods to buy goods online, compared to 18% using credit cards, the future of commerce is mobile-first. Boku's technology platform helps the world's most demanding merchants attract, convert, and retain customers using mobile payments. By turning payments infrastructure into a source of sustainable competitive advantage, Boku safely activates a range of new merchant business models – from bundling to subscriptions.

Boku's platform is used in over 70 countries with more than a billion verified transactions in 2020, contributing $8.5 billion to the digital economy. Customers that trust Boku to simplify sign-up, acquire new paying users and prevent fraud include global leaders such as Apple, DAZN, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Netflix, PayPal, Sony, Spotify and Tencent.

Boku Inc. was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in London, UK, with offices in Brazil, China, Estonia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the US. To learn more about Boku please visit: https://www.boku.com/

About Juniper Research

Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector, providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.

Enquiries:
PRecious Communications for Boku, Inc.
Singapore/Asia Pacific: Clarence Lim, boku@preciouscomms.com

Boku in Asia

In Asia, Boku's payment partners for Mobile Wallets include: AliPay, Dana, GCash, GoPay, GrabPay, KakaoPay, LINE Pay, Ovo, PayMaya, PayPay, Toss, Touch 'n Go, Truemoney.

Boku also partners with payment partners to offer Direct Carrier Billing: AIS, BSNL, Celcom, Digi, dtac, Globe, Indosat Ooredoo, Jio, Korea Telecom, KDDI, LG U+, Maxis, M1, NTT Docomo, StarHub, Singtel, Softbank, SK Telecom, Smart, Smartfren, Tata Docomo, Telkomsel, Three, TrueMove, Vodafone, XL (amongst others).

Additional insights from the Mobile Payments Report 2021

Other insights from the Southeast Asian region include:
1. Indonesia represents one of the greatest opportunities for merchants accepting mobile payments: its mobile wallet penetration is at 25.6% in 2020, and set to triple to 76.5% by 2025. The report also expects that mobile wallet transactions will increase by volume to 16 billion transactions in 2025 (from 1.7 billion in 2020), and $107 billion in 2025 (from $28 billion in 2020) – the highest in the region.
2. Malaysia mobile payment adoption is behind other Southeast Asian countries currently, at a 31.7% penetration rate, but is poised for hyper growth over the next five years to 93.9%.
3. Philippines has one of the lowest levels of mobile wallet penetration at 22.4% of the population, but expected to grow to 63.4% by 2025 with a mobile wallet transaction value of $63.4 billion by 2025 (from $15 billion in 2020).
4. Singapore is set to reach mobile wallet penetration of nearly 95% by 2025 from 30.4% in 2020 – the highest in the Southeast Asian region, and with mobile wallet transactions projected to increase by 11x (from 101 million transaction volume in 2020, to 1.1 billion in 2025).
5. Mobile wallet penetration in Thailand is at 21.4% in 2020 and set to grow to 63.4% in 2025. The country is also set to hit $36.7 billion in transaction value in 2020 (from $10.6 billion in 2020).
6. Vietnam is primed for massive mobile payments growth – with mobile wallet transaction growth of 7x expected to 5 billion by 2025 from 674 million in 2020, and a mobile wallet penetration rate of 55.5% in 2025 (from 19.7% in 2020).

As part of the Mobile Payments Report 2021, Boku also conducted an in-depth consumer survey of 1035 respondents in Indonesia, during May 2021, which showed that:
1. Consumers use an average of 3.2 wallets in use per respondent, one of the highest in the world after India. The top reason for using more than one type of mobile wallet included different wallets giving different benefits (63%).
2. Cash was the payment type that is most in use prior to mobile wallets (at 66%), followed by bank transfers (63%) and debit cards (44%), which can likely be attributed to the extremely low credit card penetration rate in Indonesia.

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com