If you’re a retailer or restaurant owner in the UK and accept contactless or Chip and PIN payments, you’ll be very familiar with seeing the Visa and Mastercard logo on your customers’ debit or credit cards.
These cards are typically issued to customers from their bank (e.g. HSBC or Barclays), making them the most popular in the UK.
But that doesn’t mean Visa and Mastercard are the only cards that consumers use – especially if they’re from overseas.
Many international residents in the UK prefer to use their native cards while living here, as it offers them several advantages and efficiencies.
So if you’re looking to attract a wide range of customers to your business, you could be caught short by either not accepting – or, more commonly, not realising that you can accept a wide range of cards on the Discover® Global Network.
What is the Discover® Global Network?
Discover® Global Network comprises of Discover® Card, a credit card brand issued since 1985 in the United States only.
You may have already heard of Diners Club International®, the first card ever issued, now part of the Discover® Global Network issued in over 55 countries across the globe.
To date, Discover® Global Network has over 20 alliance partners, increasing acceptance across the globe and enabling their cardholders the benefits of spending freely internationally.
Some partner cards include, but aren’t limited to:
RuPay Global Card – India’s largest card network
BC Global Card – South Korea’s largest card network
DinaCard – Serbia’s largest card network
Elo Global Card – Brazil’s largest card network
Troy Global Card – Turkey’s largest card network
Verve Global Card – Nigeria’s largest card network
Discover® Global Network is the fastest growing payments network* with over 189 million cardholders active worldwide, there is a massive opportunity for retailers in the UK, who are yet to start accepting the network of cards.** They’re already accepted by merchants in over 200 countries and territories.
So what are the main benefits for business owners to accept Discover Global Network cards?
It opens up an international market
If you’re a business owner in a major city or a tourist hotspot, you’ll get a range of different travellers from all over the world, and not all of them will use the same cards.
Tourism can often bring higher spend values for businesses as holidaymakers will have allocated spending money for their trip.
This could mean they are more liberal with their budgets for gifts, souvenirs, meals, and leisure activities such as spas.
In fact, in the UK in 2019, holidaying tourists from North America alone spent over £2.5 million across the country’s businesses. North Americans in the UK for business purposes spent over £1.2 million.
So by not offering a card type that almost 200 million people use globally – and is highly popular with international travellers, you’re potentially missing out on higher profits.
It takes minimal effort
If you’re a Paymentsense customer with First Data, you’re ready and set to accept all of the Discover® Global Network cards from the get-go.
There’s no additional setup needed, and you’ll receive all of the signage and window stickers you need to let customers know you accept their card of choice.
If you need any additional signage and branded materials, you can request them to be sent to you for free on the Discover website.
It’s not always obvious for merchants and cashiers which partner cards are part of the Discover® Global Network. If you’re ever unsure, you can check for the marked logos (Diners Club International and Discover) on the back of the card across all of the cards issued on their network.
It can increase customer loyalty
It’s good business to be inclusive – and that includes the cards you accept.
It’s no doubt an inconvenience for customers to have their credit card of choice rejected when they’re trying to spend money with you.
Some customers may not have an alternative payment method and therefore might have to abandon their purchase, which is a bad experience for you, and them.
In fact, it’s unlikely that those customers will return to your shop or restaurant if they’re unable to pay without worrying about finding an ATM or alternative credit card. 82% of Discover Cardholders would revisit a business that accepted their preferred credit card.***
So if you’re accepting Visa, Mastercard and Amex with First Data and Paymentsense, you’re also ready to open your doors to the entire Discover Global Network – you just may not have realised it, until now.
Your card machines are already enabled. So when you reopen your doors again, you’ll be able to welcome back both loyal customers and new ones, as people across the globe are unified in their desire to travel once more.
For more information on the Discover® Global Network, visit their website.
Sources:
*Based on signed network alliance agreements over the past twelve years with major payment networks within respective countries – Panoramic Research study, conducted 2020.
** Written partner verification, RBR Reporting, Internal DFS reporting.
***C+R Research Study of 1,200 Discover Cardholders, July 2020 commissioned by DFS Services LLC *Discover Cardholders who have travelled internationally in the past 24 months.