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Mastercard, a technology leader in the global payments industry, and its strategic partner Network International, the leading enabler of digital commerce in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, have announced an initiative to enhance digital payments in the UAE with sonic capabilities. Together, Network International and Mastercard will be giving consumers additional peace of mind through new technology that allows for the Mastercard sonic identity to be played by Network’s N-Genius TM Point-of-Sale (PoS) terminals to indicate the successful completion of every transaction. 

Launched in early 2019, Mastercard introduced its sonic brand as the next frontier for brand expression and a powerful way to create an emotional and culturally relevant connection with consumers . To ensure its sonic sound would resonate with people the world over, Mastercard tapped musicians, artists and agencies from across the globe to help adapt and test its melody. Both companies have initiated the UAE roll out with the aim to enable over 22,000 N-Genius PoS terminals across the country by the end of 2020. As consumers in the region increasingly embrace digital and contactless payments, the new sonic capabilities on payments will give shoppers the instant reassurance that their transaction was securely processed.

The initiative builds on the companies’ long-standing partnership. In 2019, Mastercard made a strategic investment as a cornerstone investor in Network International, followed by an additional commitment of $35 million over a five-year period towards developing innovative payment solutions for consumers to accelerate the adoption of cashless payments in the region and propel a world beyond cash. The new announcement represents a milestone moment in this partnership, introducing to the region a distinct layer of security that ultimately enhances the payment experience for shoppers.

“With a distinct sound, Mastercard’s iconic award-winning sonic brand will offer consumers the peace of mind that their payment was verified and completed securely. We have worked on building our sonic capabilities to engage with consumers in more meaningful and exciting ways and this partnership is yet another milestone in that journey. Together with Network International, we are committed to making digital payments in the UAE and across the region the most trusted way to pay,” said Girish Nanda, Country Manager, UAE & Oman, Mastercard.

Network’s cloud-based N-Genius TM payment platform has been developed in the UAE to global best practice standards to boost the region’s payment ecosystem. The acceptance platform delivers advanced performance, security and scalability across both online and in-store channels and responds to regional requirements such as multilingual and multi-currency, while enabling updates and new payment methods with no service disruptions. With its large, simple, intuitive touchscreen user interface and updated sleek design, the Android-based device offers an enriched experience to users. 

With over 22,000 N-Genius TM terminals in the UAE, Network International will equip every new N-Genius terminal issued or replaced beyond 2020 with the sonic brand. 

 “Audio is becoming an increasingly powerful tool to engage with consumers as they navigate through a hyper-digital world. Through this initiative, we will be able to leverage Mastercard’s sonic technology to guarantee trust and empower consumers with an increased layer of security for their payments experiences. Starting off in the UAE, we aim to roll out this technology with Mastercard throughout the Middle East and Africa,” added Samer Soliman, Managing Director, Middle East – Network International.