Visa and Raiffeisen Bank have launched for the first time in Central and Eastern Europe the Visa Signature card (debit and credit), expanding exclusive benefits for super-premium cardholders in the Romanian market. This initiative reinforces both companies’ commitment to providing innovative financial products and services, offering clients significant advantages and an enhanced experience with Visa Premium cards. Made from 99% recycled plastic, the new card has been added to the bank’s product portfolio and is accessible to a significant segment of premium clients. Visa Signature stands out with a flexible structure and multiple benefits designed to offer a superior level of comfort and extended access to a range of exclusive services. These include personalized concierge services, access to the Visa Luxury Hotel Collection, special offers through the Visa Merchant Offers Centre, and 24/7 Global Customer Assistance Services (GCAS). “Visa Signature represents an important step in expanding our relationship with premium segment clients, providing them access to a wide range of exclusive benefits. The new Visa Signature card comes with a series of advantages specifically designed to meet their mobility and flexibility needs, while also allowing secure payments, globally accepted, enhanced with premium benefits and a more seamless digital integration. We are thrilled to partner with Raiffeisen Bank to bring this regional premiere to Romania. This continues the strategic partnership extended this year through the issuance of all the bank’s cards under the Visa brand, once again confirming once again that together we can constantly innovate and take the digital payments in Romania to the next level,” stated Elena Ungureanu, Visa Country Manager for Romania. “Visa has been a trusted partner of Raiffeisen Bank since our early presence in the Romanian market, and with the exclusive partnership announced this year, we have entered a new phase of collaboration. The launch of Visa Signature reinforces our commitment to delivering solutions that add value to both our premium product portfolio and the customer experience”, said Vladimir Kalinov, Vice President of Retail at Raiffeisen Bank Romania. The new Visa Signature card complements the Visa Premium universe, joining the Infinite, Platinum, and Gold cards. Designed to meet the high standards of affluent clients seeking personalized services and exclusive experiences, Visa Signature expands the range of lifestyle benefits for cardholders, offering enhanced convenience in everyday life, such as full travel insurance, extended access to national and international airport lounges, and global emergency assistance services. The local benefits of premium cards particularly target transportation, roadside and home assistance services: discounts on BlackCab rides, safe transportation for children, private drivers for personal car transport and airport transfers. Additionally, Visa Premium cardholders enjoy discounts at restaurants, dental clinics, beauty salons, and fitness centers. They also have free access to airport lounges in Bucharest, Cluj, Timisoara, and Vienna, and discounts on mobility packages, including replacement car and towing services in case of accidents or technical malfunctions. International privileges within the Visa Premium universe include global assistance, preferential access to international airport lounges, and significant discounts on car rentals and hotel bookings. The Visa Luxury Hotel Collection provides access to over 900 locations, ranging from boutique hotels to major luxury hotel chains, with best-guaranteed booking rates, automatic room upgrades based on availability, VIP Guest status, and other benefits. The platform is available in 10 languages and offers a dedicated concierge service. Furthermore, cardholders have access to Air Refund, a service that simplifies and speeds up the claiming compensation for delayed or canceled flights, offering up to 600 euros depending on the flight distance and delay duration, with no commission charged for unresolved cases.
On Thursday, January 23, the European Commission granted a protected geographical indication status to Romania’s Jidvei wine. The new status offers recognition for the distinctive qualities of the wine. The brand encompasses white, rosé, red, sparkling, semi-sparkling, and liqueur wines produced from grape varieties grown in the Alba region, in central-western Romania. The vineyards in […]
Romania's pavilion at the Osaka World Expo 2025, which will take place from April 13 to October 13, was built with a focus on sustainability, including contributions from Romanian workers. The pavilion also highlights Romania's national resources. The mascot for the expo is a pelican named Haru (meaning "spring" in Japanese), symbolizing the importance of […]
Examin, a Romanian startup specializing in AI-powered video analytics, has secured EUR 200,000 in pre-seed funding from a private investor. The funds will be directed toward a market-ready product, creating an AI-driven prototype for quality inspection in manufacturing processes (AI Quality Inspection), developing its first AI Video Analytics camera, expanding the team, and scaling marketing […]
The beginning of 2025 brought increased pollution in the Bucharest-Ilfov area, as traditional pollutants such as cars and heating systems met low wind speeds, high humidity, and thermal inversion. The latter three prevent pollutant particles from dispersing and instead keep them at ground level. As a result, the level of pollution has doubled in the […]
Update: DNA confirmed that Sinaia mayor Vlad Oprea had been detained for 24 hours beginning January 23 on charges of bribery in continuous form, conducting financial operations incompatible with his position, false in asset declarations, abuse of office, and influence peddling. The prosecutors also said that Oprea indirectly received a total bribe of EUR 238,000 […]
Prosecutors from Romania's National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) reportedly detained Vlad Oprea, the mayor of the popular mountain town of Sinaia, for 24 hours on Thursday, January 23. He faces corruption charges in a case investigated by the DNA, with further searches set to take place at the Sinaia City Hall later today, in the presence […]
