Sonae’s fintech enters the merchant acquiring business with Easypay
In an initial three-year agreement, Easypay will provide Universo IME with automatic terminals that allow payments through MBWay and ATM references, aimed at SMEs.
Universo IME, fintech incorporated in the Sonae group, established a three-year partnership with Easypay to enter a new merchant acquiring business in Portugal, targeting small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Easypay, founded in 2007 and based in Lisbon, will provide the payment functionalities for this new area, including automatic payment terminals (APT) that allow payments to be made via MBWay and ATM references.
With the sector growing and consumers demanding secure, fast and convenient payments, these “innovative terminals” are aimed at merchants and companies that want to “boost their business through diversity in payment typology,” according to a press release.
“It is true that there are already payment terminals in Portugal that allow the use of MBWay, an area that will be boosted with the entry of a new player and new ATPs. However, the ATM reference payment is a market innovation, now launched by Universo IME, which relies on Easypay technology”, says Sebastião Lancastre.
Easypay’s CEO also stresses that, with this new business area, Sonae’s fintech “positions itself as another operator that intends to boost and energise the sector with payment innovations”. Online, contactless and MBWay payments gained traction with the pandemic and, he adds, “it is important to bring new payment possibilities to SMEs that contribute to accelerating their use even more.”
