EMERCHANTS EMERGING IN EUROPE

BRISBANE payment solutions company Emerchants (ASX: EML) is breaking into the European telecommunications and payment industries.

Emerchants have recently signed a multi-year contract with Blackhawk Network to launch an open loop MasterCard prepaid gift card across select retailers in the UK, Belgium and The Netherlands.

Emerchants' Tom Cregan (pictured) says this partnership is ideal for bringing the company's unique payment systems to Europe.

"We have a high level of expertise in gift card processing and program management in Europe, and Blackhawk has a retail network encompassing some of the largest brand retailers in Europe, so it's a perfect combination for this program," says Cregan.

The company have also signed a contract with Redeem, a leading mobile phone recommerce and recycling company in Europe, to provided limited network, private label pre-paid cards.

The service allows customers to trade in their phones for an instant reward card to offset the cost of their new device.

Cregan says that the partnership with Redeem is exactly what consumers are looking for.

"With the continued consumer desire to upgrade their mobile devices, we expect this programme to perform extremely well for all parties," says Cregan.

"Our previous experience in the mobile phone recycling sector has enabled us to work quickly to launch this programme within a tight timeframe."

The program will launch in the UK to support one of Redeem's latest trade-in promotions.

*Please note: Emerchants (ASX:EML) completed a changed of name to EML Payments (ASX:EML) in October 2016