The announcement comes as the Bank of Thailand plans to allow commercial banks to set up banking agents in order to provide financial-service points that are closer to people’s homes than branch operations.

Many observers speculate that 7-Eleven has the potential to be a banking agent providing financial transactions such as deposit and withdrawal services, as well as small-amount payment services for retail – or individual – customers.

Suripong Tantiyanon, country manager of Visa Thailand, in a statement on Tuesday described the partnership between Visa, Thai Smart Card and 7-Eleven as “an important chapter in the digital transformation of commerce in Thailand”.

The Visa payment programme was first piloted in the Kingdom last year in selected 7-Eleven stores with high tourist traffic, and has since gradually branched out across the country, according to Visa Thailand’s office.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/Corporate/30339343