Atos Origin offers German banks the processing of ’Instant Cards’

Frankfurt/Main, 25 September 2006 - Atos Worldline, an Atos Origin Company, is the first service provider on the German market to offer card issuing banks and their commercial partners the processing of “Instant Cards”. With these new Visa or Visa Electron cards products, banks can offer their customers a faster, cost effective and easy to use card payment option.

“Instant Cards” are pre-produced cards which can be stored by the issuing bank, and immediately completed and activated when needed, and then used anywhere in the world to pay for purchases in shops or online and withdraw cash at ATMs. Unlike highly embossed Visa or Visa Electron cards, the cardholder’s name does not appear on the card.
They offer all the payment functionalities of conventional Visa and Visa Electron cards including “Credit” (revolving or delayed), “Debit” or “Prepaid” functions.

All these types of transactions can be processed using the modular Atos Worldline card management system and its components.
Customer data is compiled in the card management system on a virtual account and simultaneously stored in a special customer card program. Credit cards, whose embossing details are not personalised, are created in a credit card program, with no name field but only a card number and an expiry date.

Banks can activate these cards immediately and issue them to new cardholders. They have direct access to the Atos Worldline card management system, enabling them to identify the interested virtual account and select an available card. Thanks to a newly screen template developed by Atos Worldline, the virtual account data is copied into the selected credit card account, manually updated and completed where necessary, and allocated by entering the Instant Credit Card number.

According to Peter Vesco, Atos Worldline Unit Manager Banking & Finance International, “With ”Instant Cards“ we are the first service provider on the German market to be able to offer our clients the concrete implementation of a new product concept which will enable them to acquire new cardholders more rapidly and effectively in the future. This product has already been successfully introduced in other European countries - including by one of our clients in Poland -, and it has the potential to become a major growth factor for our clients in Germany”.


About Atos Origin
Atos Origin is an international information technology services company. Its business is turning client vision into results through the application of consulting, systems integration and managed operations. The company’s annual revenues are more than EUR 5,5 billion and it employs over 47,000 people in 40 countries. Atos Origin is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic Games and has a client base of international blue-chip companies across all sectors. Atos Origin is quoted on the Paris Eurolist Market and trades as Atos Origin, Atos Euronext Market Solutions, Atos Worldline and Atos Consulting.

Atos Worldline, an Atos Origin company - Atos Worldline is a major European player in the processing of large-volume electronic exchanges, specialising in electronic payment services, CRM and e-services (internet, voice and mobile services). With the focus on technological innovation, Atos Worldline implements its solutions in processing or integration mode. Atos Worldline has 2,600 employees in Europe and has an annual turnover of €400 million.

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