Dollar General To Accept Visa Credit, Check Cards

"At Dollar General, our goal is to provide a convenient shopping experience for our busy and value-driven customer," said David Perdue, chairman and chief executive officer. "Our agreement with Visa positions us to serve a growing number of American consumers who want and expect a variety of payment options. In addition, our core customers demand convenience, and we are proud to deliver another hassle-free way to pay for everyday essentials at Dollar General stores."

Dollar General was the first among small-box value discounters to roll out readers for electronic benefits cards, making transactions hassle-free for customers on government assistance. Dollar General has been accepting PIN-based debit cards since 2003.

With today's announcement, Dollar General reinforces its leadership among small-box discounters by adding Visa's credit and check cards as payment options network wide. Fifth Third Processing Solutions serves as the electronic card processor for all of Dollar General's electronic payments.

As consumers have become more comfortable using payment cards, there has been a migration of everyday spending from cash and check to electronic payment. Today, more than 6.3 million merchant locations in the U.S. accept Visa payment products.

"Our partnership with Dollar General gives millions of Visa cardholders more locations where they can make convenient purchases and have the opportunity to earn rewards," said Bill Dobbins, vice president, merchant relations at Visa USA. "The dollar store retail segment has been one of the last untapped markets for payment card acceptance. We are pleased to partner with Dollar General to provide more options at the register for their customers. We look forward to working together to provide Dollar General customers increased convenience, faster checkout lines, enhanced security with Visa's Zero Liability protection and improved customer service."