OP-Pohjola strengthens its leading position in payment services

Checkout Finland Oy, the provider of payment services for Finnish online stores, has been taken over by OP-Pohjola Group. The employees and owners of Checkout Finland Oy will continue in the company's service, and the company's business operations will continue as normal.

Checkout offers payment services to Finnish online stores. With the service, the online shopkeeper may offer to its customers a broad range of payment options, including banks' e-payment buttons, credit card payment and use of credit lines. Checkout services more than 9 500 Finnish online stores, making it the leading Finnish e-payment services provider.

The Checkout business complements the services offered by OP-Pohjola to retailers and consumers. With its acquisition, OP-Pohjola seeks to promote the Finnish online retailing sector and the smooth execution of its payment transfers. Together with, for example, the Pivo mobile application, OP-Pohjola is now able to offer the retailer and the entrepreneur competitive payment and purchase services that combine the online, mobile, and brick and mortar trade.

"The retail sector is going through a great transformation as consumers are increasingly shifting to online and mobile sites. OP-Pohjola has fostered retailing and provided payment services throughout its existence, and we wish to be part of this change. The business of Checkout Finland reinforces our know-how and allows us to provide competitive payment services going forward", says Kasimir Hirn of OP-Pohjola's cards and emerging payments business.

OP-Pohjola seeks to provide its customers with access to a safe and encompassing means of e-payment.

"Online retailing is a constantly growing business, and new payment services providers are emerging. With the range of payment options expanding, consumers must have access to a wide selection of safe alternatives for payment. OP-Pohjola wants to offer to consumers a safe and easy means of payment in the future as well. Checkout will continue to provide services to the customers of all banks and to offer payment alternatives desired by retailers and consumers ", Kasimir Hirn adds.

More information, please contact:
Kasimir Hirn, Director, Cards and Emerging Payments, OP-Pohjola, tel. [phone].

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Source: Pohjola Pankki Oyj via Globenewswire

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