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BNP Paribas, SIA to launch EU payment services

Wednesday, November 24, 2021 — 07:15:47 (EST)

Milan and Paris, 24th November 2021 – BNP Paribas partners with SIA, a leading European hi-tech company in payment services and infrastructures, controlled by CDP Equity, to support the launch of co-branded cards with major commercial partners in France and other European countries.

Thanks to this agreement, SIA’s technology infrastructure will process digital and physical co- branded cards issued by BNP Paribas. SIA’s platform supports the management of payments cards of multiple leading commercial partners and includes also advanced services for the management and prevention of fraud and chargebacks, as well as state-of-the-art solutions to speed up the authentication process for online payments while ensuring safe e-commerce purchases.

BNP Paribas also leverages on SIA’s digital on-boarding and Open Banking platforms to enroll new customers using mobile apps and access information pertaining to different bank accounts, in line with the opportunities deriving from the introduction of Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2).

Through SIA platforms, BNP Paribas enables its commercial partners to improve their loyalty programs with an enriched customer experience. Accor, a world leader in hospitality, is the first corporate to benefit from the agreement to launch a new payment card in France, with a progressive roll-out in Europe. The card, available in several versions, will offer members the opportunity to collect loyalty points when making everyday purchases and to receive additional benefits tailored to their interests.

“The payment card market is undergoing a huge transformation, particularly in Europe, both functionally and technologically. Today, it is one of the major drivers enriching the customer experience and introducing higher added value services and offers. As a European banking group, we continuously innovate in terms of payment solutions to support customers with their new habits and aspirations. This partnership with SIA will enable us to roll out co-branded cards in France and in Europe, offering Loyalty programs in various ecosystems,” said Carlo Bovero, Global Head of Cards and Innovative Payments at BNP Paribas.

“We are proud to have strengthened our long lasting relationship with BNP Paribas Group, supporting their co- branded card business evolution across Europe. Our digital payment platforms streamline the on-boarding process of BNPP end users, with respect to PSD2 security requirements, and enable the enriching of the customer experience by introducing higher added value services and offers,” stated Eugenio Tornaghi, Marketing & Sales Director of SIA. “This partnership represents a further step forward in SIA’s positioning as a trusted technology partner for the main European banking groups in the fields of e-money and cross- border payment services”.

About BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas is the European Union’s leading bank and key player in international banking. It operates in 68 countries and has more than 193,000 employees, including nearly 148,000 in Europe. The Group has key positions in its three main fields of activity: Retail Banking for the Group’s retail-banking networks and several specialised businesses including BNP Paribas Personal Finance and Arval ; Investment & Protection Services for savings, investment and protection solutions ; and Corporate & Institutional Banking, focused on corporate and institutional clients. Based on its strong diversified and integrated model, the Group helps all its clients (individuals, community associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporates and institutional clients) to realise their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance. In Europe, BNP Paribas has four domestic markets: Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg. The Group is rolling out its integrated retail-banking model across several Mediterranean countries, Turkey, Eastern Europe as well as via a large network in the western part of the United States. As a key player in international banking, the Group has leading platforms and business lines in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas as well as a solid and fast-growing business in Asia-Pacific. BNP Paribas has implemented a Corporate Social Responsibility approach in all its activities, enabling it to contribute to the construction of a sustainable future, while ensuring the Group's performance and stability.

About SIA

SIA - a subsidiary of CDP Equity - is European leader in the design, creation and management of technology infrastructures and services for Financial Institutions, Central Banks, Corporates and the Public Sector, in the areas of Card & Merchant Solutions, Digital Payment Solutions and Capital Market & Network Solutions. SIA Group provides its services in over 50 countries, and also operates through its subsidiaries in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and South Africa. The company also has a representation office in Poland.

For more information: www.sia.eu/en

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Source: Company press release.