Jan 10, 2008 Leader in Airport Retailing, Paradies Shops, Now Enables Travelers to “Tap & Go™” with MasterCard® PayPass™
MasterCard Contactless Payment
Technology Enhances Traveler Experience through Increased Payment Speed and
Convenience
Purchase, NY, January 8, 2008 – MasterCard
Worldwide announced today that The Paradies Shops, the nation’s leading airport
concessionaire, expects to accept
MasterCard®
PayPass™ contactless payment transactions at its more than 500 retail
store locations throughout the U.S. and Canada by late 2008. By accepting
MasterCard PayPass, Paradies will offer the
more than half-billion travelers it serves each year quicker transactions and
greater payment convenience to enhance the overall travel shopping experience.
“For our customers who are traveling and constantly on the
go,
MasterCard PayPass provides
an even faster way to pay at retail locations where convenience and efficiency
are paramount,” said
Lou Bottino,
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, The Paradies Shops.
“Expanding our payment options to include
MasterCard
PayPass is an extension of our commitment to provide our customers with
the most valuable and convenient airport shopping and travel experience.”
With PayPass technology, Paradies customers can
simply tap their PayPass-enabled
MasterCard
card or device on a PayPass reader at check-out, eliminating the need to
hand their card over to a cashier or fumble for cash.
MasterCard
PayPass also does not require customers to sign receipts for purchases
under $25, further speeding up the transaction.
“Airport retail locations are a natural fit for PayPass
technology, which is designed to provide speed and convenience at the point of
sale and help customers be on their way,” said Gerritt Kerkstra, senior vice president, U.S. Acquirer
Relations,
MasterCard Worldwide. “We are very excited that Paradies has joined the growing list
of merchants that accept PayPass as we continue to look for ways to
enhance the shopping experience for consumers.”
Paradies will accept
MasterCard
PayPass, in addition to traditional magnetic-stripe payment cards, at
all of the check-out counters of the specialized, one-of-a-kind stores and
nationally-recognized retail brands it operates in over 60 airports and hotels
in North America. The Paradies family of brands includes a wide variety of
retailers from newsstands to specialty gift shops, such as, Brooks Brothers,
PGA TOUR Shops, CNBC, Harley-Davidson and The New York Times bookstores.
MasterCard PayPass
is currently accepted within several retail sectors where speed and convenience
are critical factors, such as quick serve restaurants, sports stadiums and
arenas, movie theaters, supermarkets, vending machines, and taxis.
About
MasterCard
PayPass
MasterCard PayPass
is ideal for traditional cash-heavy environments where speed is essential, and
has led the way in bringing contactless technology to consumer categories such
as quick serve restaurants, drug stores, gas stations, vending machines,
convenience stores, sports arenas, movie theaters, transit systems and parking garages.
As of November 2007, there are more than 20 million PayPass cards and
devices issued globally, and PayPass is currently accepted at more than
80,000 merchant locations worldwide, including participating CVS,
McDonald’s, Regal Entertainment
Group theaters and many others. PayPass is also accepted at
numerous professional football and baseball stadiums. For more
information about
MasterCard
PayPass and a full list of participating merchants, visit www.mastercard.com/paypass.
About
MasterCard Worldwide
MasterCard Worldwide
advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link among financial
institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide. As a franchisor,
processor and advisor,
MasterCard
develops and markets payment solutions, processes over 16 billion transactions
each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to
financial institution customers and merchants. Through its family of brands,
including
MasterCard®,
Maestro® and Cirrus®,
MasterCard serves consumers and businesses in more
than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to
http://www.mastercard.com.
About
The Paradies Shops
Named Best
Airport Retailer for the past 12 consecutive years by Airport Revenue News, The
Paradies Shops was established in 1960. A family-owned business, The Paradies
Shops operates over 500 stores in 63 airports across the
United States and
Canada.
With extensive experience in operating both local and national brands, to
include CNBC News, PGA TOUR Shops, Brooks Brothers, Brighton Collectibles,
Harley-Davidson, and The New York Times Bookstores, The Paradies Shops
maintains a substantial presence as one of the largest airport retailers.
Additionally, The Paradies Shops operates several hotel properties and the
retail program for the Georgia Aquarium, the world's largest aquarium, located
in
Atlanta. For more
information, please visit www.theparadiesshops.com.