Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games-themed Visa prepaid cards available at
Canada Post

TORONTO , Nov. 17 /CNW/ - Visa Canada announced today that it will offer three new Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games-themed Visa prepaid cards that will be available in 1,500 Canada Post retail locations across the country beginning this month.

Just in time for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Visa prepaid cards can be used by consumers for payments anywhere Visa cards are accepted - at the Games in Vancouver , at retailers across Canada , when travelling internationally or when shopping online.

As Visa is the only card accepted at official Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games venues, the Visa Canada Post prepaid card is a convenient and easy-to-use payment option for 2010 Winter Games attendees. Issued through Citizens Bank of Canada , the cards give consumers the flexibility to spend the balance on whatever they choose and are offered in three pre-set denominations: $25 , $50 and $100 .

"Visa prepaid cards are a convenient and secure payment option," said Brian Triplett , Head of Global Prepaid Products at Visa. "For visitors to the Games, Visa prepaid cards are a great way to pay for Vancouver 2010 gear or concession stand items instead of using cash - and they can be replaced if lost or stolen."

"We are very pleased to be launching Visa prepaid cards," said John Reis , Director, General Merchandising for Canada Post. "The three denominations of cards, $25 , $50 and $100 , will be available this month to consumers at select Canada Post locations."

To highlight the new Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games-themed Visa prepaid cards, Visa is holding a contest to win a collector set of ten Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Visa Prepaid Cards. Canadians can enter the draw online, and one winner will be drawn each month until July 2010 . Contest details are available at www.citizensbank.ca/win2010visa.

"The designs on our cards celebrate the spirit of our Olympic and Paralympic athletes, and the challenges they must overcome to be the best in the world," said David Chong , director, Visa Marketing and Products, Citizens Bank of Canada . "With Canada Post and Visa as our partners, we can truly extend the reach of our cards across Canada and provide urban and rural residents the opportunity to connect with their own inner athlete.

"Visa prepaid cards give cardholders flexibility, protection and choice when making everyday purchases. An ideal choice for birthdays, holidays, weddings, and other gift-giving occasions, the Canada Post Visa prepaid card will be supported by in-store point-of-sale promotions as well as direct mail communications. For more information visit www.canadapost.ca/visaprepaidcards.

About Visa

Visa operates the world's largest retail electronic payments network providing processing services and payment product platforms. This includes consumer credit, debit, prepaid and commercial payments, which are offered under the Visa, Visa Electron, Interlink and PLUS brands. Visa enjoys unsurpassed acceptance around the world and Visa/PLUS is one of the world's largest global ATM networks, offering cash access in local currency in more than 170 countries. For more information, visit www.corporate.visa.com.

About Canada Post

Canada Post delivers over 11 billion pieces of mail each year to 14 million destinations. Its 72,000 employees and 6,600 post offices - the largest retail network in the country - serve 32 million Canadians and over 1 million businesses and public institutions from coast to coast to coast. In 2007, net income for Canada Post and its affiliates, which include Purolator Courier Ltd., Progistix-Solutions Inc. and Innovapost (jointly owned by Canada Post and CGI), was CDN$ 54 million on revenues of CDN$ 7.5 billion. Canada Post is a world leader, providing innovative physical and electronic delivery solutions, creating value for our customers, employees and Canadians. www.canadapost.ca.

About Citizens Bank of Canada

Citizens Bank of Canada is a subsidiary of Vancity, the largest credit union in Canada . Citizens Bank is focused on offering foreign exchange services for non-retail members and Visa card services.

For further information: Teri Broughton, Visa Canada, [phone], [email protected]; John Caines, Canada Post Corporation, [phone], [email protected]; Rosetta Cannata, Citizens Bank of Canada, [phone], [email protected]