Discover Pact Desjardins Group Deal Expands Canadian Footprint

Discover Global Network, the unit of Discover Financial Services, announced Wednesday (May 24) it has entered into an agreement with Desjardins Group, the cooperative financial group in Canada, through its Monetico payment solutions to expand acceptance in Canada.

In a press release, Discover Global Network said merchants that have business relationships with Desjardins are now able to accept cards that run on the Discover Global Network, including Discover, Diners Club and alliance partner cards.

“As one of the top countries that Discover card members travel to and a popular global travel destination, expanding the Discover Global Network footprint in Canada has been and continues to be a major priority,” Ricardo Leite, vice president, Discover Global Network, said in the press release. “Working with Desjardins will provide a significant boost to our merchant acceptance throughout Canada, especially in the province of Quebec.”

According to Discover Global Network, Canada welcomes close to 14 million visitors from the U.S. annually, with that number expected to increase by more than 20 percent by the year 2020. In an effort to provide more payment options and a more seamless payment experience for cardholders, Discover Global Network has expanded considerably within Canada in recent years, the company said. From 2015 to 2016, transactions on the Discover Global Network increased by more than 20 percent in Canada. What’s more, it said the majority of merchants in Canada now accept Discover.

“Desjardins is very pleased with the launch of this offer, which demonstrates once again how we respond to the current needs of both the market and our clients — from local entrepreneurs to major corporations — giving them the opportunity to multiply their business opportunities,” said Patrice Dagenais, vice president of Payment Services and Business Partnerships, Desjardins Group, in the same press release. “We’re committed to simplifying and facilitating the client experience.”