Mooncard has reached the stratosphere. The fintech company recently launched a electronic point of sale terminal from Loyaltek and a Visa card several kilometers above Earth.
An articulated arm was able to activate the Mooncard to make a contactless payment of 45 euros to an independent hotelier. At a time when the spacial tourism is taking its first steps, this is a very promising milestone for professionals in the sector.
The feat organized by Mooncard, an expert organization in the sector of smart corporate cards, and Visa, in digital payments, had one purpose: to demonstrate the ease and the progress of corporate payments. Thanks to the development of corporate cards and the arrival of new mobile POS terminals, such as Loyaltek’s, the increase in card payments is unparalleled.
Specifically, contactless payments have increased exponentially as a result of the health crisis. Since the end of lockdown in May 2020, contactless payment has seen spectacular growth, with increases of more than 50% in number and doubling in value during the summer of 2020.
European tourism sector
East space travel, which took place at the end of September, also provided an opportunity to support the European tourism sector in these difficult times. The transaction was used to make a payment at the Saint-Sauveur hotel in Blankenberge, Belgium. According to the European Tourism Commission (CET), European tourism is starting to take off again. After 2020, the year in which hotel occupancy fell by more than 80%, tourism, which includes business trips, appears to be recovering. More than 70% of Europeans say they intend to travel before January 2022, the highest percentage since the pandemic began.
“I have always been fascinated by space and its combination of poetry, technology and science, and I have often used it as a source of inspiration. Unsurprisingly, were it not for this passion, the Mooncard name would not be inspired by the Moon. In order to accomplish this feat, we have gone to the next level. The Mooncard team is proud to have become the first French agent to make a payment in the stratosphere. Beyond the pomp and pageantry, this is a strong message addressed to the leaders of the tourism and banking sectors: there are no longer borders. We must dare. And the post-covid stage is an opportunity to improve ourselves in order to provide new and original services for companies and their employees. Mooncard is also pleased to contribute to the influence and economic dynamism of France », explains Leteurtre, co-founder and CEO of Mooncard
