Emirates NBD and Gemalto celebrate the success of Go4it

The successful partnership between Emirates NBD and Gemalto, was commemorated at an award ceremony, which took place alongside Dubai's Cards & Payment conference on May 14th 2013.

The Go4it card, the first-of-its-kind in the Middle East, is a unique all-in-one banking card combining both payment and contactless transit functionalities for seamless access to Dubai's RTA public transport network.

Leveraging Emirates NBD's innovative approach and Gemalto's advanced contactless technology, the bank's Go4it card portfolio has proved a remarkable success since its launch at the end of 2011 and now accounts for close to 10% of credit cards issued by Emirates NBD.

A high percentage of Go4it customers are new to the bank as customers identify the product to meet their needs. Card usage rates have increased and end users have commented that they appreciate the convenience and uniquely privileged features offered by the card.

In addition to reducing the need to carry multiple cards, Go4it also enables fully automated top-up for both the RTA and SALIK eToll applications, ensuring that users are never left without the means to access public transport or the road network in Dubai.

A Gemalto street survey conducted in Dubai underlines the attractiveness of this multi-application contactless approach with fully 82% expressing a strong interest in solutions that combine payment and contactless transit eTicketing. This confirms Emirates NBD's detailed understanding of and strong capabilities to answer market needs and offer the most advanced services to its customers.

"Go4it was a challenging and complex project, converging EMV and contactless transit, a very first in the region," said R. Sivaram, SVP, Cards Business Head at Emirates NBD.

"Gemalto has rich experience in both EMV payments and transit access and was the perfect partner for us in our aim to be the first to market. They provided comprehensive support at every stage of the project development and we are very pleased to be celebrating this successful partnership today."

"Emirates NBD is recognized as a true pioneer in financial services, and has consistently set new standards in the delivery of innovative banking products and services. With this technological breakthrough, the bank continues to deliver best-in-class products and an enhanced experience to its customers," said Emmanuel Payraud, Vice President of Financial Services & Retail at Gemalto Middle East.

"We have worked in close partnership with Emirates NBD for many years and it is a privilege to have been involved in the Go4it card project. We are fully committed to supporting them with their future initiatives."