LOS ANGELES, Nov. 7, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Signature Card Services (www.signaturecard.com) is proud to announce its partnership with Alternative Payments (www.alternativepayments.com), a PCI-compliant provider of global alternative payment methods.

Merchants of Signature Card Services are now able to capture sales from all EU countries and several emerging markets. These alternative payment solutions provide instant access to customers they wouldn't have access to by accepting only traditional credit cards. More than half of EU online shoppers do not use credit cards for e-commerce purchases. By offering alternative payments, smart merchants can get a piece of the growing European market which is forecasted to be over €300 billion ($413.2 billion) by 2016. The European e-commerce marketplace has overtaken the U.S. for each of the past three years. Local and familiar payment types are preferred by consumers in the EU and emerging markets. Now with the alternative payment solutions, merchants of Signature Card Services can capture global sales.

"We are very excited to be working with a forward-thinking company like Signature Card Services," said Ines Kring, Executive Vice President of Alternative Payments. "By offering our global payments solutions, they are giving their merchants the opportunity to increase revenues, open up to new markets and take advantage of the growing international marketplace. We are proud to be a part of their initiative to expand the value they bring to their customers."

"This partnership will bring great opportunities to our agents and merchants alike," said Anush Amiryants, Executive Vice President of Signature Card Services. "Merchants can unlock the door to an entirely new customer base, and agents will be able to offer more processing options, making our services even more attractive. The Alternative Payments platform is brilliantly simple- one button, that is customized based on your geo location, lets you accept payments that are applicable to that territory."

To learn more about how you can start accepting alternative payments, contact Signature Card Services at marketing@signaturecard.com.

About Signature Card Services

In business since 1997, Signature Card Services is an industry-leading provider of payment services and a registered ISO and MSP of HSBC, Merrick Bank and Westamerica Bank. The firm's unmatched network of banking partners allows it to accommodate most businesses in retail, internet, mobile and mail/telephone order environments. Signature Card Services is a member of the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the Electronic Transactions Association (ETA), and the Merchant Acquirers' Committee (MAC).

About Alternative Payments

Alternative Payments specializes in global payment solutions. Headquartered in Pasadena, California, Alternative Payments products and services are tailored to web-based merchants that need to accept more than just credit cards as a payment method on their websites. Reach Alternative Payments by phone at 626.773.7194, or visit www.AlternativePayments.com for more information.