Bryan Ritenour of Circle K said, "Our shoppers, who are regularly 'on the go,' will enjoy the speed, convenience and shorter lines that result when they tap to pay with MasterCard PayPass, instead of fumbling for cash and coins at checkout."
The use of contactless payment cards continues to see exponential growth, [image-nocss] MasterCard Worldwide said. The number of MasterCard PayPass cards and devices in market has grown from nearly 13 million as of fourth-quarter 2006, to more than 23 million as of fourth-quarter 2007, to more than 50 million as of fourth-quarter 2008. According to September 2008 U.S. consumer research by the Smart Card Alliance cited by MasterCard Worldwide, 9% of the U.S. population has a contactless payment card or device, and this figure continues to grow.
"Circle K is an ideal environment for MasterCard PayPass because the benefit of faster transactions at the point of sale translates directly to busy shoppers," said Cathleen Conforti, senior vice president of global PayPass for MasterCard Worldwide. "By accepting MasterCard PayPass, Circle K is taking an innovative step to improve customer loyalty and customer throughput at the register."
About 94% of PayPass-using respondents to a 2008 MasterCard PayPass Benchmark Study were satisfied with their experience, it said, and 77% of PayPass consumers said they use PayPass as their primary card for everyday purchases.
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, taxis, parking garages and more. As of fourth-quarter 2008, there are more than 50 million PayPass cards and devices in use at more than 141,000 merchant locations worldwide, including participating BP, Best Buy, 7-Eleven, CVS, McDonald's, Petco and many others.
As a franchisor, processor and advisor, Purchase, N.Y.-based MasterCard Worldwide develops and markets payment solutions, processes approximately 21 billion transactions each year and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial-institution customers and merchants. Powered by the MasterCard Worldwide Network and through its family of brands, including MasterCard, Maestro and Cirrus, MasterCard serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories.
There are more than 2,100 Circle K stores across the United States, with more than 4,000 international locations. Circle K is part of the Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., Laval, Quebec, which currently has a network of 5,444 convenience stores, 3,607 of which include motor fuel dispensing, located in 11 large geographic markets, including eight in the United States covering 33 states and three in Canada covering 10 provinces.
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