10 Aug EVO Payments announces new UK partnership with the AA

– Partnership will see EVO Payments International provide card pay technology to UK merchants across retail and hospitality sectors under new brand Card Pay from the AA

– New partnership will be managed by company’s Irish headquarters in Dublin

– Deal follows recent announcement of 50 new jobs and €9.1 million investment in Ireland by EVO Payments International

– The AA was voted the #1 most trusted brand in the UK in 2016

– Card payments account for 62% of all UK SME transactions

– UK cards market was worth £700billion in 2016

EVO Payments International, a leading card payment service provider headquartered in Dublin, has announced a new partnership with the AA in the UK.The partnership will see EVO Payments International provide card payments technology – under new brand CardPay – into the AA’s diverse range of affiliated businesses, including hotels, restaurants, pubs, garages and car dealerships. The partnership represents a significant deal for EVO, opening the company up to further opportunities in the wider UK market.

The partnership represents a first for the AA.  While the brand currently offers a full suite of consumer finance and mortgage products, this new deal will see it move into B2B financial services in 2017, assisting UK SMEs secure a better deal in card payment with EVO.  The AA was chosen as the UK’s most trusted brand in a survey of more than 3,000 people.

The partnership was announced as the majority of UK small businesses (55%) say they believe that cash as a payment method will be obsolete within five years’ time – this rises to 74% in the retail sector and 66% for hotels and hospitality.New YouGov research conducted in the UK found that point of sale card payments currently account for 62% of transactions.

In Ireland, EVO Payments International operates under the BOI Payment Acceptance (BOIPA) brand name – a technology alliance between Bank of Ireland and EVO Payments International, specialising in providing card and online payment facilities to retail, hospitality and other business sectors across Ireland.

Earlier this year, the company announced the creation of 50 new jobs and the opening of a new Irish headquarters as part of a €9.1 million investment in the Irish market – bringing total employee numbers in Ireland to 120 people in 2017. The company operates throughout Ireland, North America and Europe.

Speaking at the announcement, Brian Cleary, Managing Director of EVO Ireland and UK, said: “We are very excited to announce this new partnership with the AA.  BOIPA only entered the payments market in early 2015, and in a very short space of time we have been hugely successful in delivering a superior payment service and value proposition for businesses across Ireland.

“From small corner shops and online traders to some of the country’s large corporates, Irish business owners have been quick to recognise the obvious benefits of our products, including the ability to process more transactions, experience reduced banking costs and less exposure to theft and the misappropriation of cash.

“Applying these same principles to the UK market felt like a logical next step, and in partnering with the AA, we are joining up with a universally trusted brand that prides itself on its market-leading financial products and first-class customer service.”

According to David Searle, Director of AA Financial Services: “From roadside emergencies to home insurance and savings, the AA has always been trusted to stand by the consumer’s side, whatever happens, and campaign for a better deal.  With nearly a fifth of our members also running a small business, we have for some time been looking at what we can do to help, particularly given the current economic climate.

“UK small businesses are the bedrock of the country’s economic confidence. The challenges many SMEs have with payment terminals, often relating to opaque pricing tariffs and surprise add-ons, need to be put right and the status quo needs to be disrupted.

“Our partnership with EVO allows us to become a force for change in the UK card payments market, to bring greater simplicity, trust, and fairness for our members – which is at the heart of everything we do.”