Sistema 4B

Sistema 4B, S.A. is a means of payment system whose shareholders are Spanish banks. Its mission is to ensure the operability of the network in Spain and it comprises:

• 20 million cards, including both debit and credit cards.
• 12,752 cash dispensers (ATMs) belonging to the Telebanco 4B network.
• 455,680 retailers belonging to the Telepago 4B card payments network.

The basic aim of Sistema 4B is to support financial institutions' efforts to promote card-based electronic means of payment as a substitute for cash, by guaranteeing quality and earning the end customer's trust, while reducing operating costs for banks.

To achieve this, Sistema 4B offers:

• The RED 4B network as the guarantor the brand's reputation, with a track record of over 30 years in the Spanish financial sector.
• The operating regulations for the interchange system.
• The transaction clearing and settlement system and guarantees.
• International interoperability through its membership as a licensee and aggregator of the international Visa Europe and Mastercard brands. This enables it both to issue co-branded products and to take payments from international cards.