D8 Corporation has successfully completed and launched to production VISA Merchant Direct Exchange technology based card processing solution for one of the largest retailers in Russia – AUCHAN RUSSIA.

The solution is based on FIS CORTEX platform. This is the first project of such kind outside the US and Australia!

Auchan Russia, a large retailer, and Visa, a global payments technology company in partnership with VTB24, today announced the launch of acceptance of Visa cards at Auchan stores. The first hypermarket to begin accepting Visa cards was Auchan in Moscow’s Sokolniki neighbourhood. By the end of 2011 all Auchan hypermarkets in Russia are expected to accept Visa cards for payment.

Thierry Leconte, CFO at Auchan Russia, noted: “The decision to begin accepting Visa cards across the Auchan chain reflects our company’s drive to constantly improve customer service, offering shoppers new services, and also giving them the opportunity to choose their method of payment. Our research found that the majority of our customers are Visa cardholders and we are pleased to offer them the possibility to pay for their shopping at Auchan by Visa card.”

The decision was taken to use innovative terminals at Auchan stores that have never been installed in Russian before.

The new terminals are not only more convenient for customers but they also significantly reduce time spent at checkout1. The terminals differ from standard in a number of ways. Firstly, they are self-service, so customers carry out operations themselves. Secondly, the terminal screens show the whole transaction process and thirdly, customers provide an electronic signature, eliminating the need to print a paper receipt. Auchan will also use the Visa Easy Payments Service, which means customers do not have to sign for small purchases.

Customers have already noted a number of benefits offered by the terminals, including:

• There is no need to hand the card to the cashier which means customers control the payment process themselves;
• Customers are interested in and want to use the new terminals because of the colour display;
• Signing on the screen is significantly faster and more convenient than on a paper receipt.

Visa has provided Auchan with its Merchant Direct technology, which helps cut costs and ensure faster and more reliable electronic payment processing and less declined operations. This technology connects merchants directly to the VisaNet global network. Steven Parker, Group Country Manager for Russia, the CIS countries and South East Europe at Visa, commented: “We are proud that through our combined efforts, millions of Russian Visa cardholders can pay by card at Auchan. We have incorporated a number of innovative technologies in this project that are being seen in the CEMEA region for the first time. We have already implemented Visa Merchant Direct technology with some of the world’s largest retailers and the effectiveness of the technology has been proven over a period of many years. The implementation of innovative technologies in Russia reinforces the importance of the Russian market for Visa and the company’s commitment to further investing in developing modern and reliable electronic payments.”

Card acceptance testing revealed that it is 30% faster to pay by Visa card than in cash thanks to Auchan’s infrastructure and Visa’s new technologies.

VTB24 will be the acquiring bank responsible for settlement. Georgy Gorshkov of VTB24 said: “VTB24 is constantly implementing innovative banking card acceptance solutions in Russia. The technology developed in cooperation with Visa for our strategic partner Auchan is the first of its kind in Russia and Continental Europe, and is without doubt the optimal solution for mass retail.

We hope that Auchan’s clients will appreciate this convenient new technology.” Auchan would like to thank its partners – Visa, VTB24, Radian Quality Solutions, D8-FIS, CityNet, Arkom, Ingenico, Infosec, Pilot, Fujitsu and NCR – for their support in this project. Feodor Gerasimenko-Karpenko, CEO of Radian Quality Solutions, noted: “Unique processing solutions were developed for this project which will ensure an overall high level of security and reliability for the system.”

Roman Parfenov, president at CityNet, commented: “Having its own payment infrastructure makes Auchan a pioneer in the Russian market in terms of card acceptance and customer service quality.”