Cornèrcard and Viseca have teamed up to develop a new industry solution for worldwide instant transfers between people based on payment cards.
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Zurich (ots)
Cornèr Bank Ltd. and Viseca Payment Services SA want to make it easier for holders of Swiss payment cards to send money directly to other people. To this end, the two companies founded PayInit AG, aimed at establishing an infrastructure for global P2P money transfers based on Mastercard and Visa payment cards. The new industry solution is available to all Swiss card issuers and providers of mobile payment solutions.
In the coming months, Cornèrcard and Viseca will be developing an industry solution for global P2P money transfers under the newly founded PayInit AG. This will enable customers of affiliated payment solution providers to send money from payment cards in Switzerland to other payment cards, wallets or bank accounts worldwide. The solution uses the global card networks of Mastercard and Visa as well as their local partners, which fulfil established global standards for security and data protection. A recipient directory (alias directory) is also being created. End customers of the affiliated card issuers and providers of mobile payment solutions can send money directly to each other on the basis of this alias directory, using telephone numbers or e-mail addresses. The technology partner for the new industry solution is Opentech (www.opentech.com). Opentech specialises in digital services for the financial sector. Its OpenPay Send platform is designed to be open and scalable, with a clear focus on promoting interoperability between banks, card issuers and the international card and payment networks. The solution focuses on user-friendliness, effectiveness and customer-oriented added value.
An industry solution for the entire sector
The new industry solution for global P2P money transfers, including alias directory, is aimed at all Swiss card issuers and providers of mobile payment solutions. Involvement in and active contribution to the further development of PayInit AG is welcomed, but is not a requirement for using the infrastructure. The service will be made available via a service contract that interested card issuers and providers of mobile payment solutions conclude with PayInit AG.
Alessandro Seralvo, Chief Executive Officer of Cornèrcard and member of the Board of Directors of PayInit AG: "PayInit AG is a card-based solution that is particularly easy and flexible for customers to use because it is based on existing payment cards. Money can be sent directly worldwide - regardless of whether recipients use cards, wallets or bank accounts. As a co-founder of PayInit AG, Cornèr Bank AG is helping to create an open industry solution that makes everyday life noticeably easier for users."
Michael Walther, Chief Financial Officer of Viseca and Chairman of the Board of Directors of PayInit AG: "Through PayInit AG, we are creating the basis for global P2P money transfers based on Swiss payment cards. This lets us close a major gap in the Swiss payment card business and open up new options for modern, cross-border direct transfers between individuals, for the industry as a whole in Switzerland."
Stefan Brunner, Chief Product Officer of Viseca: "Thanks to the combination of global payment initiation for direct transfers between individuals and PayInit AG's comprehensive, scheme-compliant alias directory, all cardholders benefit from an unrivalled user experience.- The innovative solution is open to all card issuers, and we look forward to working with the industry as a whole to further develop the future of digital payments in Switzerland."
Stefano Andreani, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Opentech: "The mission of PayInit AG perfectly aligns with Opentech's core values: making payments more accessible, interoperable, and seamless. As the enabling technology partner through OpenPay Send, Opentech supports an initiative where the Swiss banking industry once again proves to be a global pioneer, delivering true value to all stakeholders."
The launch of the new industry solution for P2P money transfers is planned for the end of 2026. Cornèr Bank Ltd. and Viseca Payment Services SA will provide further information in due course.
About PayInit AG
PayInit AG is a special-purpose vehicle founded by Cornèr Bank Ltd. and Viseca Payment Services SA to develop an open infrastructure for global P2P money transfers based on Swiss payment cards. The solution connects the global networks of Mastercard and Visa with a modern alias directory. It is open to all Swiss card issuers and providers of mobile payment solutions who want to offer their customers simple, secure and global direct transfers.
About Cornèr Group
Founded in Lugano in 1952, the Cornèr Group is an independent Swiss private bank group operating as a full-service bank. Lugano is Switzerland's third-largest banking center, after Zurich and Geneva. Active across the whole range of traditional banking services, the Cornèr Group specializes in the private banking sector, as well as in the areas of lending, Visa, Mastercard and Diners Club payment cards (Cornèrcard) and online trading (Cornèrtrader) - the core businesses on which the growth of the Cornèr Bank Group is based. The Cornèr Group comprises the Lugano-based parent bank Cornèr Bank Ltd., the branches in Chiasso, Geneva, Locarno, Zurich and Guernsey as well as the affiliates Cornèr Bank (Overseas) Limited, Cornèr Europe Limited, Finpromotion SA and Allegra Vermögensverwaltungs AG. Information at cornergroup.ch.
About Viseca - swiss cashless competence
Viseca is a leading provider of products and services of cashless payment. This includes the issue of payment cards (Viseca Card Services SA) and the provision of card business services for issuers (Viseca Payment Services SA). In 2025, revenue was at CHF 536.4 million and earnings was at CHF 139.7 million. Viseca is wholly owned by the largest Swiss cantonal and retail banks. These include all cantonal banks, the Raiffeisen Group, Entris Banking, Migros Bank, Bank Cler, regional banks and several private and commercial banks.
About Opentech
Opentech (www.opentech.com) is a trusted service provider supporting banks, card issuers and regulated financial institutions in their digital transformation journeys. Active since 2003, the company has developed over two decades of expertise in payments and financial services, delivering secure and scalable full-stack platforms adopted by leading institutions in Austria, Italy and Switzerland. Certified PCI DSS Level 1, PCI 3DS, ISO 27001 and ISO 9001, the company operates according to the highest standards of security, quality and governance, providing robust technological infrastructures for the evolving payments ecosystem. For institutions seeking innovation without technological lock-in, Opentech combines a track record of outstanding innovation with open, flexible architectures designed to evolve with their strategic ambitions.
Contact:
Cornèr Group, Eva Maria Cioffi, Head of Corporate Communication, media@corner.ch
Viseca Payment Services SA, Nicolas Kurcera, Head of Communications, media@viseca.ch
Opentech, Alessandro Borghini, Head of Communications, pr@opentech.com