Ms. Michelle Wagner reports

EQUINOX PAYMENTS ENABLES MERCHANTS TO TAP INTO JAPANESE TOURISTS SPENDING POWER WITH SUPPORT FOR JCB CONTACTLESS CARDS

Brookfield Asset Management Inc. subsidiary Equinox Payments' Apollo, L5000 and Luxe terminal lines are being enhanced to support contactless chip technology for JCB cards. Final certifications are expected this summer, providing merchants with Equinox terminals a simple upgrade path to extend the convenience of tap-and-go payments via JCB chip cards and Apple Pay. JCB transactions are routed through Discover Network in the U.S.

"Merchants that adopt these solutions can improve the checkout experience for JCB card members, and make sure their business is ready for the JCB EMV liability shift that takes effect next year," said Rob Hayhow, vice-president, Equinox Payments. "Once completed, all Equinox payment terminals will be automatically enabled to support JCB Contactless at the factory prior to release."

Consumer spending by JCB card members is significant. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce National Travel and Tourism Office, 83 per cent of Japanese tourists cite shopping as a key activity. In 2016, 3.6 million Japanese visitors travelled to the U.S., spending about $16-billion. Supporting chip and contactless is a convenient way to remove any friction during the payment transaction since it mimics the process JCB cardholders are used to in their own country.

"This relationship underscores the partner-friendly approach that Equinox brings to the table," said Linda Horwath, vice-president, emerging technologies at JCB. "We are excited to extend the speed and convenience of contactless payments to our valuable card members visiting the United States."

The Luxe family includes the elegant Luxe 8000i, designed for fixed acceptance areas including checkout lanes, retail countertops, hotel registration desks, and the modular Luxe 6,000 metres, ideal for both countertop and mobile acceptance uses like local roaming, line busting and field-level payments. Equinox has also integrated JCB support in its L5300 terminal in use today at many of the country's leading high-volume retailers, and in its Apollo stand-alone terminal, ideal for small business customers.

About Equinox Payments

Brookfield Equinox LLC (doing business as Equinox Payments) was founded in 2014 as a result of an acquisition of assets from Equinox Payments LLC. Located in Scottsdale, Ariz., Equinox is looking beyond product features to rethink and reimagine the customer payment experience.

The company is owned by NBS Payment Solutions, based in Toronto, Canada, and a leading provider of electronic payment solutions to the financial industry for over 25 years.