MCB, first acquiring bank of UnionPay cards in Mauritius

Eight UnionPay International representatives, including Ms. Wu Yi - Vice President and Board Secretary of UPI, made a courtesy visit to the management members of MCB last week. As the first acquiring bank of UnionPay cards in Mauritius, MCB welcomed favourably this meeting which aimed at engaging discussions on the future collaboration between both institutions.

The UnionPay card is a major means of payment offering many opportunities in the Asian region. It is accepted at 51 million merchants and in 2.57 million ATMs in 168 countries and regions.

The MCB UnionPay prepaid card is both available in Renminbi and US dollars. It is easily refillable at any MCB branch, via Internet Banking, or by JuiceByMCB. It is very convenient for students, businessmen and travellers visiting Asia because it is easily accepted in this region of the world.

Since its launch in 2013, which was a first in Africa, the MCB UnionPay card is widely used by Mauritians who choose convenience over cash. From 2014 to 2017, the amount of this prepaid card in Mauritius increased by 146%.

The average amount spent in 2017 by the Mauritian MCB UnionPay card holders reaches Rs. 7, 500 on Point of Sales (POS) and just as much on ATMs during their stay abroad.

MCB and UnionPay officially launched their partnership in 2010. The agreement between the two institutions then marked the acceptance of UnionPay cards in Mauritius. Over and above this, UnionPay has access to other countries where MCB is present, i.e. Seychelles and Maldives. In 2015, MCB was awarded "Best UPI bank of the island".