LONDON, September 5 /PRNewswire/ --     Altair Financial Services International Plc (Altair), leading prepaid
card service provider and transaction processing company are participating in
the introduction of the UK's first MasterCard PayPass(TM) contactless
payments programme, which begins in London this September.

John Bushby, General Manager, MasterCard Northern Europe, said, "Using
MasterCard PayPass, cardholders will be able to simply 'tap' their new
MasterCard PayPass card on a PayPass reader to make a purchase at all
participating retailers. Cardholders can complete low value purchases under
GBP10 quickly, securely and easily, with no need to fumble for cash and
coins, enter a PIN or sign a receipt. For added security, larger purchases
may require a PIN or signature." Following the initial rollout, the new
generation of MasterCard PayPass card will be powered by the latest version
of MasterCard's chip technology, M/Chip 4.

The PayPass rollout in London will form part of a larger Europe-wide
rollout of the innovative and market-leading Tap & Go(TM) technology. PayPass
has enjoyed great success globally, with 16 million cards in issue for use at
more than 56,000 merchants in 19 countries.

Along with other market innovations such as mobile payments systems using
WAP, SMS and Java, contactless technology is another significant addition to
Altair's existing portfolio.

Altair CEO, Lee Britton comments, "We are excited to be working with
MasterCard to provide this turnkey solution to the UK market. We envisage
that PayPass will have a profound effect on the way low-value purchases are
made in the UK, which will affect both retailers and cardholders alike. For
consumers, PayPass will save time and reduce the risks of cash handling,
while retailers will benefit from quicker purchases.

"Vendors and banking institutions see contactless payment solutions such
as PayPass as the latest opportunity to show innovation in payments , while
providing a better service to their customer. The PayPass solution is ideal
for quick payment environments where speed is essential, such as fast-food
restaurants, petrol stations, drug stores, supermarkets, cinemas and
theatres."

"We expect the telecom industry to significantly benefit from prepaid
payments products utilising contactless and Near Field Communication devices.
ABI Research recently predicted that by 2012, around 292m handsets (over 20%)
of the global mobile handset market will ship with built in Near Field
Communication capabilities," Britton said.

Symmetrex, Inc., leading US transaction processor and Altair subsidiary,
recently announced its certification to process MasterCard PayPass
transactions in Europe. The certification ensures that all PayPass
transactions are processed with all the technical requirements of the
MasterCard PayPass specification.

Symmetrex, Inc. can now process the full range of transaction types,
including PayPass, magnetic stripe-based payments and Chip and PIN based
payments.

About Altair Financial Services International Plc

Altair Financial Services International Plc was incorporated in 2005 as a
global provider of Prepaid Card solutions with enhanced functionality. Altair
acquired established transaction processing company, Symmetrex, Inc. in March
2007. Altair is headquartered in London with banking and processing
relationships in UK, USA, Asia Pacific and throughout the Latin America and
Caribbean regions and issues on behalf of MasterCard(R) and Visa. Altair's
solutions are designed to be flexible enough to provide companies with almost
any type of prepaid card functionality, including open and closed loop
programs. Through its relationship with MasterCard(R) all Altair cards issued
in Europe are based on Chip & PIN technology and are EMV standards compliant.
For more information, visit http://www.altair-financial.com.

About MasterCard PayPass and Maestro PayPass

PayPass is MasterCard's 'contactless' payment feature, which provides
consumers with a fast and convenient alternative to cash for their everyday
small purchases, such as public transport tickets, coffee, sandwiches or fast
food, petrol and others. It can be added to any MasterCard credit, debit or
prepaid card, or to a Maestro debit card. PayPass allows merchants to
function more efficiently and serve their customers better. PayPass speeds
consumers through the check-out process, reduces cash handling, improves
efficiency and provides competitive differentiation.

About MasterCard Europe

MasterCard Europe is the entity responsible for managing MasterCard
Worldwide's business in Europe, for Europe. With headquarters in Waterloo,
Belgium, MasterCard Europe works with 51 European countries organized
administratively into three customer areas, incorporating the Single Euro
Payments Area (SEPA), mature markets and the developing markets of Europe,
stretching as far afield as the eastern border of Russia. Through its network
of local offices, MasterCard Europe can understand and meet the diverse needs
of customers in the very different types of markets throughout Europe,
enabling people to do business in their own way in their own language.

Through MasterCard Worldwide, MasterCard Europe offers its European
customers and consumers access to leading payment services throughout the
world. MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical
economic link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and
merchants worldwide. As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard
develops and markets payment solutions, processes over 16 billion
transactions each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting
services to financial institution customers and merchants. Through its family
of brands, including MasterCard(R), Maestro(R) and Cirrus(R), MasterCard
serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories.
For more information, go to http://www.mastercard.com.