On September 23th, 2021, French fintech Mooncard has launched a Visa card and a Loyaltek electronic payment terminal (EPT) into the stratosphere. Several kilometers above the Earth, an electronic articulated arm activated the Mooncard card to make a contactless payment of €45 to an independent hotelier. At a time when space tourism is taking its first steps, this feat also holds great promise for professionals in the sector.
The feat orchestrated by Mooncard, one of the leader in smart corporate cards, and Visa, one of the world leader in digital payments, had one objective: to demonstrate the ease and progress of corporate payments.
With the development of corporate payment cards and the arrival on the market of new mobile POS terminals - such as those from Loyaltek – card payments continue to grow. Contactless payments, in particular, have exploded since the health crisis. From the end of lockdown in May 2020, contactless payment has experienced spectacular growth, with increases of more than 50% in number and a doubling of in value during summer 2020
This trip into space was also an opportunity to show support for the European tourism industry in these turbulent times. The transaction was used to settle a payment at the Saint-Sauveur Hotel in Blankenberge, Belgium.
According to the European Travel Commission (ETC), tourism in Europe is starting to take off again. After a year in which hotel nights fell by more than 80% in 2020, travel - including business travel - is picking up. More than 70% of Europeans say they intend to travel by January 2022, the highest number since the start of the pandemic;
“ Space has always fascinated me with its combination of poetry, technology, science and has often been a source of inspiration. You can guess that without this passion Mooncard would have had another name. We have taken height to realize this feat. It is a source of pride for all the team Mooncard thus becomes the very first French player to operate a corporate payment in the stratosphere. Beyond the pomp and circumstance, this is a very strong signal to the leaders of the banking and tourism sector: there are no more frontiers, we must dare and the post-covid period is an opportunity to surpass ourselves in order to offer new and original services to companies and their employees. Mooncard is also pleased to contribute to the economic dynamism and influence of France" explains Leteurtre, co-founder and CEO of Mooncard.
This challenge was made possible thanks to low-impact manufacturing solutions for the environment Sent Into Space is sending the equipment into the stratosphere (37,074 km from Earth) using a hydrogen gas balloon (a renewable alternative to helium). The components are manufactured in-house from reusable, recyclable or renewable materials. All materials and equipment launched were recovered after this flight.
How does Mooncard work ?
Mooncard is the only corporate card in France and even in Europe to address small companies, large groups and also public entities thanks to a solution capable of managing fleets of several thousand cards for a single client. Mooncard is also the only one to fully automate the processing of expenses and expense reports.
Mooncard is a team of engineers and data analysts who have invented a smart payment card based on several technological and accounting advances:
1. A secure payment card, in collaboration with Visa, one of the world leader in digital payments VISA
2.A comprehensive insurance on the market for a corporate payment card, thanks to a unique partnership with Allianz and Gras Savoye;
3.A unique partnership on the French market with Flying Blue (loyalty programme of the AIR FRANCE - KLM group) allowing companies and their employees to earn Miles, for personal or professional use, by paying with their company card for those who wish to;
4.A sophisticated set-up :more than 60 usage limitation criteria can be activated or deactivated in one click and in real time, for any Mooncard card in circulation;
5.An advanced accounting processing algorithms, in France, allowing automatic interfacing with all software on the market (Sage, Cegid, etc.);
6.A Saas mode solution in a secure cloud;
7.A unique user experience, with an account opened in 5 minutes, a card available within 24 hours, and a smooth deployment within the company.
About Mooncard
Fintech founded in March 2016 and led by Tristan Leteurtre (CEO, ex-VLC, Anevia), Damien Metzger (CTO, ex-Prestashop) and Pierre-Yves Roizot (CFO, ex-Vente-Privée), Mooncard is a leader in smart corporate cards: Secure and configurable, the Mooncard card can be used to pay for any company expense (business expenses, online purchases, subscriptions, etc.) and to fully automate the administrative management (pre-filling of data, storage of receipts, accounting processing).
Since the beginning of 2021, a partnership with Flying Blue, AIR FRANCE-KLM's loyalty programme, allows Mooncard holders to earn Flying Blue Miles through their spending. Mooncard is a Saas solution and has already attracted more than 3000 companies (Air France, Cora, Cityscoot, Mirakl, Odigo, Groupe Poisson, Vinci, Zadig & Voltaire, etc.). Mooncard also supports the State in digitising its travel expenses (more than 500 public establishments: Matignon, Ministries, Armed Forces Service, etc.).
For more information : www.mooncard.co
PRESS CONTACTS :
Martin Daubard - martin.duabard@evidenceparis.fr / 07.72.14.93.34
Hugues le Romancer - hugues.le-romancer@evidenceparis.fr / 06.07.41.26.78
Raphaël Ruegger - raphael.ruegger@evidenceparis.fr / 06.47.22.87.47
