EXPRESS DELIVERY: Google and Samsung have joined MasterCard’s new DEE program

Google and Samsung are among the first digital partners to join MasterCard’s newly launched Digital Enablement Express program which aims to speed up the process of digitizing and tokenizing MasterCard accounts through the MasterCard Digital Enablement Service (MDES) that was launched in September 2014.

By signing up to Express, Google will have a streamlined onboarding process to engage with all participating MasterCard issuers around the globe to accelerate consumer access to Android Pay, MasterCard says. It will also enable Samsung to give issuers immediate access to Samsung Pay.

“Financial institutions of all sizes gain immediate access to the latest digital payments services, while MasterCard partners — digital wallet providers, device manufacturers, card on file merchants and other digital payment providers — have a simple onboarding process to engage with all participating banks,” the payment network says.

“Together, they are able to deliver new services more quickly and at scale to consumers around the world. Capital One, Fifth Third Bank and KeyBank are among the first issuers to announce their support of Express.”

Broad consumer access

“We are looking forward to bringing a best-in-class payments experience to consumers with Android Pay,” says Ariel Bardin, Google’s VP of payments. “Working with MasterCard’s Express platform will give us a highly scalable way to enable issuing banks to participate in Android Pay, while at the same time, launch a service that has broad consumer access.”

“Partnering with MasterCard via Express ensures that Samsung Pay can be brought to millions of consumers globally in a scalable and efficient way that creates value for us and issuers,” adds Injong Rhee, EVP of Samsung Electronics and global head of Samsung Pay. “We are excited to combine MasterCard’s Digital Express program with Samsung Pay to accelerate a digital payment experience that is simple, secure and works virtually anywhere you can swipe or tap a card.”

Samsung Pay launched in Korea in August and is expected to go live in the US later this month. Android Pay is rumoured to be launching on September 16.

“MasterCard is working relentlessly to increase payment security and enable innovative new digital services for consumers to the benefit of all participants in our network,” says Ed McLaughlin, chief emerging payments officer at MasterCard. “Express now allows key technology partners to make their offerings available to all MasterCard issuers in a simple, safe and consistent manner, extending our network model into digital enablement.”