Prepaid Cards Summit 2009

Download our 2009 reference guide now

Download our 2008 reference guide now

Prepaid cards have become one of the world's most dynamic, competitive payment markets - and continental Europe is seen as the next big market. While regulatory and cultural idiosyncrasies mean individual countries are at different stages of penetration, interest in prepaid across the region is booming.

In Western Europe, key markets are Italy, Germany and Belgium. In Central & Eastern Europe, countries like Poland, Hungary and Russia are all starting to experience growth, with new programmes launching every month.

Italy, for instance, boasts the most successful prepaid programme in Europe to date: Poste Italiane's PostePay. Launched in 2003, the PostePay prepaid card has taken 65 percent of the prepaid market in Italy (and 40 percent of Europe's), with 4.5 million cards in issue.

The PostePay system has been chosen by the Italian government via BancoPosta, the banking arm of Poste Italiane, to issue benefits through prepaid cards, the first European government to do so.

What's new and different in 2009?

The Prepaid Cards Summit, held in Rome on 12-13 November, was the only truly European event of 2009 that focused entirely on prepaid cards and the role they play in mass market payments on the continent.

Delegates and attendees heard from leading industry experts on best practices and new opportunities in Europe, and the event was a unique place to develop profitable relationships and network.

The two-day Prepaid Cards Summit included exclusive, unique research commissioned by VRL Financial News on prepaid trends in both the UK and Italy. Like 2008's analysis of the UK, which proved to be the most in-depth look at the market to date, this year's comprehensive insights offered unrivalled information on two of the world's largest prepaid markets.

Why attend our event?

Since launching, this highly attended conference has attracted increasing numbers of key industry figures, and this year's event was as expected a total sell-out. The conference received very positive feedback and was highly rated by both delegates and speakers.

If it's prepaid people, products, programmes or proposals you need to hear about - this is the only place to be.

Our aim was to ensure each delegate attending Prepaid Cards Summit 2009 received a first rate experience, exclusive information and networking opportunities with key industry figures to help build revenue-increasing strategies in a difficult climate. An objective we achieved.

Two of VRL's core publications, Cards International and Electronic Payments International, once again supported the event and helped deliver an agenda full of relevant insights and analysis about Europe's dynamic prepaid market.

The content of our 2008 conference proved to be very relevant to the challenges being faced and this was no coincidence. Through extensive research and with the combined experience of delivering successful cards events over the years and the unique knowledge and understanding of the editorial teams from VRL's associated publications, Cards International and Electronic Payments, we once again delivered an agenda with the most relevant and topical points in today's prepaid cards realm.