RBC to offer one-of-a-kind prepaid card designed for use
at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
First contactless Visa card in Canada not linked to a credit
card account
TORONTO, January 28, 2010— RBC Royal Bank is
adding another unique payment option to its lineup of Visa
prepaid cards. Athletes, coaches and team officials attending
the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will
be able to purchase beverages with a simple wave of the hand
by using a special Visa Prepaid Card issued by RBC. The card,
shaped like an iconic Coca-Cola contour bottle, uses Visa
payWave technology and is the first contactless Visa card
in Canada that is not linked to a credit card account. The
preloaded cards will provide athletes with unlimited, easy
access to Coca-Cola brand beverages at vending machines in
official venues for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic
Winter Games, including the Olympic and Paralympic Villages
in Whistler and Vancouver.
"We know that athletes have enough on their minds during
the Games. With the Visa Prepaid Card from RBC, they will
have easy and convenient access to beverages whenever they
need a drink," said Anne Koski, RBC's head of Card Payment
Innovation. "We're excited to be able to offer consumers
new payment options, and to provide our athletes with these
one-of-a-kind preloaded card fobs that are waved instead of
swiped."
As a worldwide sponsor of the Olympic and Paralympic Games,
Visa is the only payment card accepted at Olympic and Paralympic
venues.
"We are delighted to work with RBC and Coca-Cola to
provide Olympic and Paralympic athletes with the speed and
convenience of Visa payWave technology at the Games,"
said Mike Bradley, head of Products, Visa Canada.
RBC Prepaid Cards
In addition to its suite of Visa credit cards, RBC offers
consumers and businesses a prepaid Visa gift card that can
be used to buy 2010 Winter Games tickets, food and beverages,
retail goods and services. The RBC Visa gift cards are available
at any RBC branch and the purchaser can preload the cards
with funds in any denomination from $25 to $500. The cards
are also suitable for everyday purchases or as gifts and are
replaceable if lost or stolen. The RBC Visa gift cards currently
feature designs profiling RBC Olympians and are offered as
part of a limited edition collector set. Once the recipient
has spent the money, the gift cards can be kept as souvenirs.
Businesses are also able to purchase RBC
Visa gift cards to support their employee and partner incentive
programs, consumer promotions or customer rebate programs.
For the Games, companies can use the gift cards as an easy
and effective way to manage spending and hospitality for their
staff or customers. Businesses can order RBC Visa gift cards
online at www.rbcroyalbank.com/visagiftcard.
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| Athletes, coaches and team officials
attending the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter
Games will have unlimited easy access to Coca-Cola brand
beverages with a simple wave of the hand by using a special
Visa Prepaid Card fob issued by RBC. |
Media contacts:
Jacqui van der Jagt, RBC, 416-974-1756
Gillian McArdle, Media Relations, 647-400-8464
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