Euronet Worldwide Expands Independent ATM Deployment (IAD) Into New European Markets

LEAWOOD, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Euronet Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: EEFT) announces the expansion of its network of Independently Deployed ATMs from five to eight countries. This entry, into new and strategic markets, positions Euronet as the most geographically diverse and fastest growing Independent ATM Deployer (IAD) in Europe.

“Euronet’s value proposition to financial institutions lies in our ability to rationalize banks’ costs to off-set recent economic challenges. Our multitude of network participation contracts with both multinational and regional banks in all IAD countries is a testament to the validity of this approach”

Euronet’s IAD markets now include three new countries: Romania, Greece and Croatia, in addition to the five previously existing markets: Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Ukraine and Bulgaria. The addition of new countries to the current IAD portfolio reinforces Euronet’s position of market leader in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and further enhances a strong regional footprint.

“In addition to geographic diversity, Euronet’s IAD strategy goes beyond best-of-breed locations to include state-of-the-art infrastructure and innovative value-added services,” states Nikos Fountas, Managing Director of Euronet’s EFT Europe Division. “Good sites are only effective when backed up by operational excellence - such as ATM up-time which is guaranteed by stringent service level agreements along the entire ATM supply chain. That, combined with on-demand ATM offerings - like card-less transactions, money transfer payout, mobile top-up, customer relationship management, dynamic currency conversion, and ATM direct marketing is the ‘secret-sauce’ which leads to value for end-users and results in high ATM usage,” Mr. Fountas explains.

Euronet’s future plans include the addition of more countries to its growing IAD portfolio to optimize opportunities created by the Payment Services Directive (PSD). With PSD, IAD’s in pan-European countries will essentially operate under a payment services license which will enable Euronet to expedite time-to-market entry and leverage its existing processing infrastructure and ATM management know-how – translating into direct benefits for both banks and end-users. Euronet’s 15 years of IAD experience includes every facet of the ATM business – such as site-selection, vendor management, cash cycle management, value-added service provision, proprietary ATM software and local language customer support. This, in addition to in-country presence in every IAD country is an unprecedented model in the industry.

While pioneering IAD developments throughout Europe, Euronet is positioning to become the catalyst in consolidating banks’ off-site ATM networks to a shared-network model whereby the savings from leveraged assets are passed on to banks and their customers. “Euronet’s value proposition to financial institutions lies in our ability to rationalize banks’ costs to off-set recent economic challenges. Our multitude of network participation contracts with both multinational and regional banks in all IAD countries is a testament to the validity of this approach,” adds Mr. Fountas.

Euronet’s capacity to deploy independent ATM networks as well as to own, operate and manage ATM networks on behalf of banks stretches globally to include the largest shared ATM Network in India as well as ATM outsourcing customers throughout Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa.

Contrary to recent industry trends in Europe of flat-growth or downsized IAD and off-bank-branch ATM networks, Euronet is continuing to add ATMs to its networks in both existing and new markets - bringing the total number of Euronet’s owned, operated and managed ATMs in Europe, Asia and the Middle East to 11,055 as of March, 2011.

About Euronet Worldwide, Inc.

Euronet Worldwide is an industry leader in processing secure electronic financial transactions. The Company offers payment and transaction-processing solutions to financial institutions, retailers, service providers and individual consumers. These services include comprehensive ATM, POS and card outsourcing services, card issuing and merchant acquiring services, software solutions, consumer money transfer and bill payment services, and electronic distribution for prepaid mobile airtime and other prepaid products. Euronet operates and processes transactions from 50 countries. Euronet's global payment network is extensive — including 11,055 ATMs, approximately 53,000 EFT point-of-sale (POS) terminals and a growing portfolio of outsourced debit and credit card services which are under management in 33 countries; card software solutions; a prepaid processing network of approximately 562,000 point-of-sale (POS) terminals at approximately 278,000 retailer locations in 29 countries; and a consumer-to-consumer money transfer network of approximately 107,000 locations serving 132 countries. With corporate headquarters in Leawood, Kansas, USA, and 43 worldwide offices, Euronet serves clients in approximately 150 countries. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.euronetworldwide.com.