Under the slogan “2bada Jadd”, areeba has launched a first-of-its-kind initiative in Lebanon aiming at developing the card payment business and acceptance in Mouhafazat outside the capital by incentivizing merchants to shift to cashless payment. This initiative was announced under the patronage of H.E. the Minister of Economy and Commerce, Mr. Raed Khoury during a press conference held at areeba headquarter at M1 Building in the presence of Visa and Mastercard representatives on August 13, 2018.
areeba’s main strategy is to create a cashless culture thus providing solutions and creating initiatives that will give merchants the ability to accept all forms of digital payments that will help them increase their sales. Within this strategy, areeba is launching this campaign and will be awarding LBP 100,000,000 in prizes to 12 lucky merchants from the different Mouhafazat: Bekaa, Mount Lebanon, North, and South.
H.E. the Minister of Economy and Commerce, Mr. Raed Khoury, said: “areeba’s initiative is in line with the economic expectations we envision for the financial and economic sector in Lebanon, notably with regard to bringing Lebanese villages closer to each other, and empowering merchants and citizens in all Mouhafazat to benefit from services from this technological development, which will, in turn, stimulate the country’s economy”.
Mr. Ramzi Saboury, Chief Commercial Officer at areeba, said: “areeba is working hard to change both merchants’ and consumers’ mindset towards e-payment. This large-scale, first-of-its kind campaign focuses on regions outside Beirut and aims at enhancing the acquiring business in Lebanon, and will benefit issuer banks as well through its roll-up effect. areeba is continuously working on empowering banks, merchants, governments and individuals through smart, efficient, and secure payment products and very soon, we will be launching new services that benefit both merchants and consumers and make their lives easy”.
Mr. Nabil Tabbara, General Manager for Levant, Visa, said: “It brings us great pleasure and pride to hear about areeba’s great initiative to bring benefits to the payment eco-system and encourage more merchants and cardholders to use digital payments instead of cash in all cities across Lebanon. This is the first campaign in Lebanon to be led by an acquirer to create awareness across cities aiming at changing people’s payment habits and have them use their cards and will have a major impact on growing the economy”.
Mr. Somu Roy, GM, Head of Levant Cluster, Mastercard said: “We’re very excited about this partnership with areeba. Another milestone that underlines Mastercard’s commitment to further strengthen local partnerships and advance the acceptance landscape in Lebanon. Such campaigns will help small businesses to broaden their customer base and enhance their in-store purchase experience”.
The “2bada Jad” initiative will be running for a period of 3 months per region; merchants in the Bekaa, Mount Lebanon, North, and South will consecutively get the chance to enter a draw to win valuable prizes for every 10 transactions performed on areeba’s POS machines.
In parallel and in order to help boost the merchants’ sales, areeba will be running a card usage campaign to encourage cardholders in these cities to use their cards at any location equipped with areeba’s POS machines to enter a draw and win one of 12 trips to Istanbul for 2 persons each.
About areeba
areeba is an electronic payment technology company licensed by Visa and MasterCard and has an agreement with American Express. Established in 2017, areeba adopts latest technology and provides solutions and payment services to banks, governments and merchants to suit their aspirations and needs.
areeba offers services tailored to global requirements, from card issuance and management, non-contact payment solutions, contactless and mobile payment, 24-hour contact center services and co-branded programs. It also provides merchants and governments with the latest e-commerce platform and point-of-sale machines that adopt the highest standards and safety systems. areeba operates a wide range of loyalty programs, including: collecting points and miles, cashback programs, and providing consultancy services for the planning, design and development of electronic products and payment solutions.
areeba’s philosophy is based on three core principles: upgrading technology to higher levels, innovation in products and services, and establishing reliable and long-term relationships with its customers.
About Visa Inc.
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is the world’s leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network – enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company’s relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of connected commerce on any device, and a driving force behind the dream of a cashless future for everyone, everywhere. As the world moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information, visit www.visamiddleeast.com, www.visanewsmena.tumblr.com or follow us on Twitter @Visamiddleeast.
About Mastercard
Mastercard (listed by New York Stock Exchange as MA) is an international pioneering company in payment solution technologies. It manages the fastest payment system in the world which links consumers, financial and commercial institutions, and governmental entities, in more than 210 countries and regions. Mastercard’s products and solutions simplify daily commercial activities such as shopping, travel, business management, and financial management, and make them easier, safer, and more effective.