Mediterranean Smart Cards Company and American Express sign partnership agreement

This new partnership links the world's leading global payments network and travel company, American Express, with the region's premier processing network, MSCC.

'Our agreement with American Express to be its preferred processing partner in Africa is the start of a long and successful partnership,' explained Hoda Shoukry, Managing Director for MSCC. 'MSCC's presence in Africa has been growing at a rapid pace in the past couple of years, and we expect this partnership to further accelerate and augment our operations in the region, in addition to maintaining our leadership position. We are ultimately seeking to balance the growth of our client network as well as continue updating and expand our service portfolio. We feel that managing these two tasks successfully is very important to continue offering the African market modern and up-to-date e-payment solutions. Our partnership with American Express will greatly serve American Express Cardmembers and promote the growth of the African retail sector, and MSCC is pleased to part of it.'

'Our partnership with MSCC is an important step forward in expanding our presence on the African continent. We look forward to working with MSCC to process American Express transactions in the African markets where we are seeking to build our merchant network through additional bank partnerships,' said Pascal J. Guignard, Vice President, New Business Partnerships, American Express.

'Our aim is to provide our Cardmembers with the convenience of paying with their American Express Cards when traveling to Africa and offer merchants the opportunity to improve their target customer base to include high spending, American Express Consumer and Corporate Cardmembers.'

MSCC could begin processing American Express Card transactions as American Express establishes new partnerships with banks to acquire new merchants to accept the American Express Card in African countries including Angola, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Nigeria, the Republic of Congo and Senegal.