German Government selects Secupay and Episode Six technology to deliver government disbursements

• Innovative payment card will enable people seeking asylum safe and easy access to government disbursements to purchase essentials - supporting financial inclusion  

• Partnership signifies Episode Six’s first offering in Germany as it continues to expand across EMEA region 

• The partnership follows Episode Six’s inclusion within Visa’s Ready for Government Disbursements Ecosystem  

London, November 28, 2024 – Episode Six (E6), a leading global provider of enterprise-grade payment processing and ledger infrastructure, today announces a partnership with payment solutions and services provider Secupay to provide asylum seekers with payment cards, enabling them access to financial support from the German Government.  

By integrating E6’s powerful enterprise-grade card issuance and transaction processing technology, and supported by Visa Ready for Government Disbursements, Secupay can ensure the safe and convenient disbursement of government aid to around 1 million people over the next four years.  

Access to government-to-citizen (G2C) payments can provide a safety net for those who need it most while supporting the alleviation of poverty and promoting financial inclusion through access to financial services. On a wider level, this can contribute to economic growth through fiscal stimulus programs that provide payments to citizens that incentivise socially beneficial behaviour. 

The cards will enable asylum seekers taking refuge in Germany to purchase essentials such as food, clothing and transport while they await the response to their formal application for asylum. The cards will be rolled out in both physical and digital forms and available in a number of colours to avoid discrimination. 

The Visa Ready for Government Disbursements program facilitates effective and secure digital G2C payments via collaboration with specialist partners, such as Episode Six. It connects them with governments where they are able to meet the specific and often complex needs of a given program at scale and at pace. These requirements could range from geographic coverage and regulatory licences to fraud management and API support etc. 

The partnership also marks Episode Six’s first offering in Germany as part of its continued expansion into EMEA following a number of recent partnerships in the region.  

John Mitchell, CEO and Co-Founder of Episode Six, commented: “Not only does this partnership represent our first entry into the German market but it is huge in terms of our longterm global efforts to progress financial inclusion. Together with Secupay and Visa Ready for Government Disbursements, we can ensure up to one million people have easy access to essentials like groceries, transport and clothing. By joining forces, we can provide safe, easy and reliable access to government disbursements to those who need it most.   

“Joining the Visa Ready for Government Disbursements program is testament to our world class technology and capability to meet diverse, specialised and challenging demands with ease and at pace. Our highly configurable platform can be adapted to accommodate any requirement. By joining the program, we can provide safe, easy and reliable access to government disbursements to those who need it most.”   

Hans-Peter Weber, CEO at Secupay commented: “As regulated payment institution, we needed a trusted partner to enable us access to the latest technology to ensure the fast and reliable processing of cards designated for vital supplies to refugees. E6 is the perfect partner as its technology is easy to configure and integrates seamlessly into our existing system, meaning we can make the cards available to many people at pace.” 

As the exclusive provider, Episode Six’s highly configurable TRITIUM® platform technology will simplify, speed up and broaden Secupay’s offering, helping to reduce costs and time to market.  

 
Greg Sheppard, Global Head, Government Disbursements, Visa Government Solutions, commented: “To deliver truly effective, next generation government disbursement programs that meet the needs of governments, administrators and beneficiaries, collaboration among issuers and technology providers is essential. Visa Ready for Government Disbursements was created to develop and support such an ecosystem. Close collaboration among participants in this digital payments ecosystem is integral to its success – as demonstrated between Episode Six and Secupay.” 

For more information, please contact nicola.forsyth@wearevia.com 

About Episode Six 

Episode Six (E6) is a global provider of enterprise-grade payment processing and digital ledger infrastructure for banks and companies looking to offer payments to their customers. E6 delivers the innovative capabilities needed to compete with disruptors by augmenting existing infrastructures. Flexibility, adaptability, and resilience are built into the core of E6’s TRITIUM® platform ensuring clients maintain a market-leading position. E6 operates globally across 40 countries with an expanding team located in the U.S., Europe, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia. Investors include HSBC, Mastercard, SBI Investment Co., Ltd., Anthos Capital and Avenir. For more information, visit www.EpisodeSix.com or LinkedIn. 

About Secupay 

 secupay AG is the largest owner-managed payment institution regulated by the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority. Secupay is a principal member of Visa and Mastercard for acquiring and issuing. The company offers seamless, fully automated payment solutions that are easy to integrate into business processes, with a focus on online platforms as well as omni-channel payment solutions for stationary and online retail.