This partnership is an additional phase in Bison Bank's commitment to provide its clients with highly personalized services through the finest partners available.

This strategic alliance is also a response to the requirements and demands of the customer. In a recent study on the state of financial and digital inclusion among Portuguese citizens, the OECD (1) found that among Internet users, 50% reported using home banking services, and 44% reported using other digital financial services, like e-wallets for payments or digital money transfer services. These numbers show a growing trend towards these channels, although these percentages are still constrained by elements like technological complexity, skepticism about digital security, and a preference for in-person and conventional transactions.

In keeping with this, one of the key characteristics of the new Visa Bison Card is its instantaneous issuance, which allows it to be used in its digital form in less than seven minutes after online enrollment. It can also be added to digital wallets like Apple Pay or Google Pay, which makes it instantaneous and eliminates the need for a physical card. This card is special because, once issued, it becomes its permanent version and no longer requires replacements.

In addition, the card supports up to 15 extra cards, which can be allocated to friends, relatives, or anybody else as long as they are identified by the primary cardholder. This feature enables the card to be used in a highly personalized manner. Among other convenient features, the card can be managed with interchangeable expenditure controls, based on value or merchant type, and with daily, weekly, or monthly limits.

The new card, which is being offered by Spanish startup Pecunpay, enables centralized account management, instant money transfers, and simple deactivation in a matter of minutes. Cardholders benefit from an additional layer of security and convenience thanks to this on/off feature.

Soon, other services will be unveiled for the card, like Visa Direct, which will enable Bison users to send and receive money instantly, securely, and from other Visa cards worldwide.

The Visa Bison Card is enhanced by the extensive global reach of the Visa network, which links over 14,500 financial institutions and fintechs across more than 200 countries and territories and permits payments at over 130 million places globally.

According to Bison Bank CEO Antonio Henriques: In its ongoing pursuit of innovation in the digital sphere, Bison Bank consistently works with the top international, highly skilled, and complimentary partners. The news about the launch of a debit card is not pertinent. Rather, the uniqueness lies in developing a good B2B2C use case that: i) respects the best interests of each partner, in this case Visa and Pecunpay; ii) goes through a Portuguese investment bank; and iii) aims to serve and give value to its wealthy and international clientele.

The collaboration is viewed as "a step forward in our ongoing commitment to support the digitisation of payments in Portugal" by Gonçalo Santos Lopes, Country Manager for Visa in Portugal. We are excited to use our skills to build a seamless digital experience for Bison Bank's clients, giving them access to the Visa network's over 130 million locations globally in more than 200 countries, as well as the assurance that their payments are safe.

Enrique Álvarez Fernández, Pecunpay's managing director. Working together on this type of cutting-edge financial industry project is a delight. By partnering with Bison Bank, we strengthen Pecunpay's and Minsait Payments' standing as Fintech firms' technological enablers in a strategically important market—in this case, Portugal.