Zwipe and areeba to pilot next-generation Biometric Payment Cards in Lebanon and Iraq
Zwipe is partnering with areeba to pilot Biometric payment cards based on Zwipe Pay ONE in Lebanon and Iraq.
These pilots reflect a strong and growing demand from issuers and processors across the region for next-generation contactless payment cards.
areeba is a leading financial technology company in the MENA region and is licensed as both issuer and acquirer by the international card schemes. It is one of the main issuing & acquiring processors in the region and leads in the Lebanese market with more than 50% market share. areeba was chosen as one of the top leading payments innovators in 2021 by Global Business Leaders.
areeba and Zwipe have a long-standing collaboration, launching the first biometric payment card pilots in the Middle East in 2018 and winning the 2019 Seamless Award for Best Technological Innovation in Payments.
Speaking on this development, Maher Mikati, Chief Executive Officer at areeba said, “We have always been pioneers in embracing new technologies that enhance user experience and security for end consumers, uplifting loyalty and business cases of payment portfolio. We are proud to partner with Zwipe, a highly respected innovator with whom we have had the pleasure to collaborate since 2018, witnessing the evolution of biometric payment cards. We are looking forward to delivering the pilots in H1 2022 followed by commercial launches.”
In these pilots, the biometric payment cards will be built on the Zwipe Pay ONE platform and delivered by Inkript, one of the leading EMV Card Manufacturers in the Middle East, which already provides cards to areeba and many issuers in the region.
Ramzi Saboury, General Manager of Zwipe in the MENA Region said:
“We are proud of our partnership with areeba, a leading innovator in the region, and look forward to supporting them and Inkript in bringing biometric payment cards to two markets, Lebanon and Iraq. Zwipe will also support areeba through all stages of pilots, ensuring that end users’ experiences and feedback are systematically captured and assessed. This is going to be an exciting journey together.”