Countdown supermarkets nationwide to accept Visa payWave on Debit
AUCKLAND, August 31, 2015 – From today Countdown customers will be able to pay using Visa payWave on Debit in a move by
the supermarket to offer greater payment choice at the checkout.
Debit cardholders can take advantage of the speed and convenience of paying with Visa payWave at Countdown’s 179
supermarkets around the country where Visa payWave on Credit has been accepted since early 2013.
Countdown joins a significant number of New Zealand merchants accepting Visa payWave, which has proved popular with
Kiwis since its introduction in 2011 with more than six million transactions now made on Visa payWave per month in New
Zealand[1] at more than 16,000 contactless terminals.
Visa Head of Emerging Payments & Innovation George Lawson says acceptance of Visa payWave on Debit is part of an ongoing rollout of the technology which
caters for a market demand for greater flexibility and choice in payments.
“We have seen a rapid adoption of contactless payments in New Zealand. Improving the speed with which payments can be
made at busy supermarkets contributes significantly to the customer’s satisfaction with their overall shopping
experience. Contactless payments is the next step towards mobile payments, which will mean consumers will be able to pay
via their mobile phone at contactless terminals.”
Visa payWave cards have an embedded antenna and microchip enabling fast and secure contactless communication with the
checkout terminal. From there the transaction is processed through the same secure network used for all Visa
transactions. Visa payWave transactions are also processed three times faster than cash payments[2].
Multiple layers of security underpin Visa payWave transactions including EMV chip technology, a short read range and
Visa’s Zero Liability policy that protects cardholders from fraudulent or unauthorised transactions.
ends