In a concerted effort to tap the growing debit card market in
Canada,
Visa Inc.
(
V
) joins with Air Canada to facilitate its Canadian customers with
Visa debit cards with which to purchase Air Canada tickets. The
agreement has already come into effect from the beginning of this
month, and Canadian customers have already started benefiting from
the alliance of the two entities.
Visa's Canadian customers can buy tickets by paying online using
their Visa Debit card for scheduled passenger services from the
website of Air Canada. They also have the option of doing the same
via Air Canada Reservations from their mobile phones.
Visa's debit cards enable customers to transfer funds using the
electronic medium even without logging in to their respective bank
accounts. It is expected that this "one-step" epayment facility
will attract a large number of Canadian customers, thereby
enhancing debit functionality within the online space.
With increasing number of consumers together with large number
of transactions Visa tries to mitigate the risk of fraud by
leveraging its payment technology. The technology safeguards the
cardholder's interest against all kind of deception if the card is
stolen or lost. Visa's Zero Liability Policy ensures the
prevention of any kind of online fraud.
Visa has increasingly invested in the emerging market,
leveraging its technological strength. All this is in sync with the
company's strategy of driving growth through increased payment
volumes along with consistent growth in processed transactions. The
company aims to retain its strength by exploring newer growth
avenues.
Visa's competitors
MasterCard Inc.
(
MA
) and
American Express Co.
(
AXP
) are equally expanding their market coverage to seek greener
pastures through newer initiatives. With MasterCard's recent launch
of PayPass Wallet Services and AmEx collaborating with Isis Mobile,
to ensure a secure shopping experience, the card industry is set to
witness stiff competition.
We retain our long-term Neutral recommendation on Visa. The
company currently retains a Zacks #3 Rank, which translates into a
short-term Hold rating.
AMER EXPRESS CO (AXP): Free Stock Analysis
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MASTERCARD INC (MA): Free Stock Analysis Report
VISA INC-A (V): Free Stock Analysis Report
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