Visa bank cards will be the only ones accepted at the Paris Olympic Games proof sites this summer. But Visa is preparing several alternatives, particularly for Mastercard customers.
Better to anticipate. Only Visa bank cards are accepted in the official store of the Olympic Games, planned in France this next summer, as well as on the test sites, i.e. nearly 5,000 points of sale.
This is the way the International Olympic Committee operates: since the founding of this partnership structure, exclusivity has been in force. We have activated our partnership during all editions of the Winter and Summer Games over the last 40 years, and systematically managed the exclusivity of payment methods, explains Capital Nicolas Mac, director of the Paris 2024 program at Visa.
An exclusivity which perhaps does not go without posing a problem for certain consumers equipped with a Mastercard or even an American Express for example.
This selective side could be disruptive for French consumers, but also for certain foreign tourists
This is poorly received in France because we have this culture of interoperability between the national bank card network and the two giants Visa and Mastercard. This selective side could be disruptive for French consumers, but also for certain foreign tourists, explains an expert in the banking sector.
Virtual bank cards
The installation of ATMs has been announced. But that’s not all. We will provide alternatives to those who do not have a Visa card, announces Nicolas Mac.
According to Capital, Visa is due to unveil in the coming weeks a prepaid payment solution accessible on mobile, including a Visa virtual card. Another possibility being studied is the distribution of physical prepaid cards in the enclosures that everyone can credit with the desired amount. This would be a temporary card usable on all Paris 2024 sites… but also outside, adds Capital.
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