Byblos Bank Headquarters, 28 December 2016: Byblos Bank received the “1st VTS Mobile Payment Launch in the Levant” award by Visa, in recognition of ByblosPay, its newly launched first real mobile payment application in Lebanon. The award, introduced for the first time by Visa, acknowledges the achievements of leading banks in the Levant that make use of cutting-edge technologies such as the Visa Token Service (VTS). The award ceremony was held at Byblos Bank Headquarters in the presence of Mr. Ihab Ayoub, General Manager for Middle East and Africa at Visa, and Mrs. Joumana Chelala, Deputy General Manager and Head of Consumer Banking and Distribution Channels Division at Byblos Bank Group.
ByblosPay, a special application launched in November 2016, allows users to make payments by turning their Android Smartphones into payment devices, thus forgoing the need to carry cash, use sticky cards, or modify their SIM cards. ByblosPay has received great reviews and was downloaded by thousands of users.
For the occasion, Mr. Ihab Ayoub said: “Consumers around the world, including in Lebanon, are more and more relying on smart appliances and connected devices to make their lives easier”. He added: “By adding payment means to these devices, we are turning virtually any Internet connection into a commerce experience, making secure payments seamless and ultimately more accessible to merchants and consumers in Lebanon. We are so excited that Byblos Bank is taking advantage of this new payment enabler to help the Lebanese consumers.”
For his part, Mr. Georges Fares, Head of Group Cards, Accounts and Bancassurance Products at Byblos Bank, said: “Byblos Bank is proud to be the first bank in Lebanon and the region to offer the most innovative payment method. Indeed, ByblosPay will transform the way people make transactions in their everyday life and needless to say that it has already taken electronic payment in Lebanon to a whole new level.”
Currently available on Google Play Store, ByblosPay is an easy-to-use mobile application requiring users to scan their Byblos Bank Visa Credit Cards so that their Smartphones can be used seamlessly for payments at any merchant equipped with NFC contactless payment devices.