Unibank starts issuing chip Visa cards

 Unibank's processing center has started issuing chip Visa cards.

The press service of Unibank reports that the cards will be issued on demand and will have a special microprocessor ensuring their higher efficiency and protection.

One of advantage of the card is that it is a multi-currency card.

Unibank is also introducing a special fraud control system, which will automatically detect a dubious transaction, will block the card, will inquire the holder by SMS if the transaction is legal and will reactivate the card if he or she says that it is. The system will operate round-the-clock.

The bank will offer both debit and credit cards, including Visa Infinite, a premium card with a concierge service (assistance in traveling, booking air tickets, reserving hotel rooms, delivering documents and presents, etc).

Unibank bought its Smart Vista processing center from BPC Group Banking Technologies for $1mln. Smart Vista guarantees effective management of a card business, this including emission, acquiring, mobile commerce.

The source also recalls that every customer that gets any card at Unibank automatically becomes a participant in the Magnis project of privileges. Under this project, nearly 200 companies provide up to 40% discounts to the customers when they pay for goods and services.  To receive discounts at the enterprises of the trade and services field, the cardholder only needs to present a Unibank card. At the moment the number of cards issued by Unibank exceeds 145 thsd, with most of them being international Visa cards. Unibank is also a full-fledged member of the the Armenian Card national payment system.

The Analytical Review "Armenian Banks in Card Business" by the Agency of Rating Marketing Information (ArmInfo) says that as of 1 Oct 2012 Unibank's active cards totaled over 119 thsd , and the Bank was among the top five leaders by this indicator. The share of salary projects in the total number of Unibank's active cards was more than 31%, with the y-o-y growth of the absolute index being 18.4%. By the plastic transactions the Bank was among the top ten leading banks (almost 20% y-o-y growth). By the number of POS-terminals, the Bank held the third position (25% y-o-y growth), and by the number of ATMs - the sixth position. The Bank increased the number of its ATMs by 6 to 85.  47 of them are in Yerevan, the others are in the regions. Unibank issues and serves local ArCa cards and international Cisa cards. 

Unibank CJSC was founded in Oct 2001. The shareholders of the Bank are Ripatonso Holdings Limited (75.44%), Gagik Zakaryan (12.28%) and Georgy Piskov (12.28%).