ICA Gruppen AB: ICA to launch contactless card payments

Regulatory News:

As the first player in Sweden, ICA is launching contactless card payments. Using this technology, payments can be made by holding the card next to the reader. The launch will take place in cooperation with MasterCard and during 2015 customers will be able to make contactless payments in all Swedish ICA stores.

The launch means that during 2015 ICA Bank’s over 500,000 card customers will be sent a new bank card adapted for this technology. Using the new card, customers can pay in ICA stores by touching their card against the card reader.

Marie Halling, CEO of ICA Bank, comments: "Contactless card payments simplify customer payments and will reduce cash handling in the store. Future payments will head in this direction and we are pleased that together with MasterCard we are first in the Swedish market. ICA stores already have readers ready for NFC and this agreement means we will be the first to use this technology.” ICA is making determined efforts to provide effective payment solutions that make every day a little easier for the customer. ICA started testing mobile payments a few weeks ago and with the launch of contactless card payments, ICA is taking a further step in this direction.

Bart Willaert, General Manager of MasterCard in the Nordic-Baltic region, comments: "Contactless payments are the way forward and are also ideal for daily shopping where consumers wish to pay fast and easily. We are very pleased to be taking this step together with ICA Bank and look forward to introducing this innovative payment technology in the Swedish market.” MasterCard’s solution is called MasterCard® Contactless and is based on NFC (Near Field Communication) technology.

ICA Gruppen AB (publ) is one of the Nordic region’s leading retail companies, with around 2,300 of its own and retailer-owned stores in Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The Group includes the retail companies ICA Sweden, ICA Norway and Rimi Baltic, ICA Real Estate, which owns and manages properties and ICA Bank, which offers financial services to Swedish customers. The Group also includes the wholly owned portfolio company inkClub and partly owned portfolio companies Cervera and Hemtex. For more information see icagruppen.se (http://www.icagruppen.se)

ICA Gruppen AB discloses the information provided herein pursuant to the Securities Market Act and/or the Financial Instruments Trading Act. The information was submitted for publication at 08.30 CET on Tuesday, 9 December 2014.

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