Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) today announced that it will be collaborating with MasterCard and NEC Payments on an innovative project to expand its Sadeem fuel card program. Bapco is working with its selected partners to enable its Sadeem customers to use their cards outside of the service station network, allowing them to make simple, safe and secure purchases at qualified merchant locations around the world.
The initiative highlights Bapco’s commitment to better serve its customers in Bahrain whilst improving efficiency, security and customer convenience across its field of operations.
Dr. Pete Bartlett, Chief Executive Officer, Bapco explained: “The alliances that we have formed will enable Bapco to respond to its local customer’s changing needs in a more dynamic way.” He added: “The innovative technology solution delivered by NEC Payments will create an opportunity to power new product features, and the strategy of co-branding with MasterCard will significantly broaden our payments capabilities and reach.”
Bartlett added that adopting a co-branding approach enables Bapco to leverage the global experience of MasterCard – a technology company in the payments industry.
Raghav Prasad, General Manager – Gulf Countries, MasterCard commented: “At MasterCard, we are committed to working with partners to provide customers with convenient and secure electronic payment solutions. As we continue towards our vision of a world beyond cash, we are proud to join hands with a leading company like Bapco as it continues to develop its innovative payment solution, both within its own network of fuel stations and across an extended network of merchants. With this expansion, a wider audience will be able to take advantage of the multiple benefits of going cashless – including increased safety, security and convenience, as well as global acceptance – and can look forward to a seamless payment experience.”
At the centre of the project is a next generation technical solution developed, hosted and managed by NEC Payments.
“Our flexible, robust and secure technology solution is the enabler that will power Sadeem and facilitate the relationship between the project partners” explained Andrew Sims, Chief Executive Officer, NEC Payments. “In addition to the advanced retail management and payments features used by Bapco and its customers, the NECP platform will also maintain high-volume high-availability transaction processing with MasterCard and provide the tools used to deliver necessary financial and regulatory controls”.
The announcement, made at an event at Four Seasons Hotel, Bahrain Bay under the patronage of H.E. the Minister of Energy, Dr. Abdulhussain bin Ali Mirza was concluded by the signing of contracts between Bapco and NEC Payments.
