Garanti Bank to issue debit cards created by Gemalto
September 23, 2008
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — Gemalto, provider of digital-security solutions, has signed an EMV deal for bank cards with Garanti Bank, a credit card issuer in Turkey.
According to a news release, Gemalto has provided Garanti Bank with its single-chip EMV banking cards and Dexxis Central Issuance solution, which enables in-house personalization. Gemalto also supplied consultancy services to assist the bank in the product specification. The agreement involves an initial order of 300,000 units.
The Gemalto card features a wide range of value-added applications comprising traditional EMV and contactless payment, Garanti Bank's Bonus loyalty scheme and the Mifare capability that enables e-ticketing. The features allow Garanti Bank customers to enjoy the speed and convenience of contactless payment at 4,000 acceptance points and in 20 retail chains. These include major fast food restaurants and supermarkets across Turkey, as well as movie theaters and entertainment centers. In addition, Bonus TRINK cardholders may use their banking cards as e-tickets for public transportation in major Turkish cities, or on shuttle boats and sea taxis across Bosphorus.
The high-end dual-interface Optelio Contactless card hosts both the EMV and contactless payment functionalities on the same microprocessor and is fully compatible with Garanti Bank's infrastructure. This card is able to process an EMV transaction in less than 500 milliseconds, making it one of the fastest in the market.