Visa International announces global marketing relationship with Yahoo

Visa International, the leading payment service, and Yahoo, a leading global Internet communications, commerce and media company, have signed a global agreement that leverages the companies` brands and extensive global networks to promote the ease and benefits of making online purchases.

This relationship complements an agreement made between Visa USA and Yahoo last year, which promoted and helped create a more convenient and secure shopping experience for consumers in the US.

Under the agreement, Visa will serve as the default payment option within international versions of Yahoo Shopping, Yahoo Travel and Yahoo Wallet covered in the relationship. Visa will also be the preferred brand of any co-branded credit or debit card offered by Yahoo in participating regions.

To support and promote the agreement, Visa will develop and execute co-branded Yahoo and Visa offline-marketing initiatives, which may include television advertising, regional print advertising and select statement insert programmes, outdoor posters and airport signage by region. Visa International will showcase special Yahoo offers on its Web site, www.visa.com, in the Offers & Promotions section and will also feature Yahoo on its regional visa.com sites and in its "World`s Best Offers Program" catalogue. In addition, participating international Yahoo properties will host Visa-Yahoo co-branded content pages.

Visa regions included under the new agreement are Asia Pacific, Canada, Latin America/Caribbean, and Central Europe, Middle East and Africa. Yahoo`s international properties covered in the relationship include Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Kimo (Taiwan), Singapore, Canada, Australia/New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Yahoo Spain.

"Visa`s strategic global relationship with Yahoo helps enhance customer and merchant benefits on all sides, and further expands two prominent international brands within the global marketplace," commented Phil Hepworth, General Manager, Visa sub-Saharan Africa. "By working with leading Internet players such as Yahoo, Visa continues to be a major player in Internet-based payments and the pioneer of u-commerce - or universal commerce."

U-commerce is Visa`s vision of the future in which cardholders can conduct commerce conveniently and securely, anywhere, anytime and over any type of device.

"By further expanding our global relationships, Yahoo continues to build the Internet`s leading consumer and business services company by delivering programs, content and services that meet the needs of our broad audience," said Jasmine Kim, vice president, international marketing, Yahoo. "In working together with Visa, we are helping to increase consumer confidence in making online purchases and provide a more convenient experience for shoppers around the world."