A payment-technology partnership has made it safer, easier and cheaper to buy Italian and European luxury merchandise online.

To reduce the stress of social distancing and travel restrictions caused by the current healthcare emergency, two enterprises have decided to collaborate and make it easier for European merchants to ‘get close’ to their customers—specifically Asian-Pacific buyers—by securely facilitating online payments.

Italy’s Nexi, a paytech company that connects banks, merchants and consumers enabling digital payments, has partnered with Japan’s credit card issuer JCB to offer the latter’s payment authentication program to enable safer online shopping. The platform will go live for the first time in Europe, and will tap into JCB’s 140+ million cardmembers throughout the Asia Pacific region—allowing them to shop online and purchase Italian-branded luxury goods securely.

Dirk Pinamonti, Head of ecommerce, Nexi commented that introducing JCB’s payment authentication program is yet another step toward furthering their commitment to evolve security measures and further pave the way for more innovative measures with payment partners in Italy. “This hi-tech JCB technology will safeguard the global online shopping experience at such a critical time, when traveling into Italy and Europe to purchase luxury items may not otherwise be an option.”

Added Tsuyoshi Notani, Managing Director, JCB International (Europe) Ltd: “The payment industry is fulfilling an increasingly important role in the economic development of an uncertain era, where diversifying the way in which we meet customer needs is essential. This partnership with Nexi has enabled JCB to open the door for the increased exchange of global e-commerce transactions between Europe and our 140+ million cardmembers.”

Notani noted that the European Banking Authority’s deadline for compliance with the Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) laws has been postponed to June 2021, secured e-commerce is a strong consumer demand in the current pandemic. This partnership can drive Asian consumer spending, including mobile payment, at Italian merchants, which will be extended later to other European merchants.