Discover is a network with virtually no local issuance in Bulgaria, so it should be approached as a complementary method for visitors and foreign residents using cards issued abroad, such as in the United States. This guide covers its positioning in the Bulgarian market right after the euro conversion, along with the receipt-and-settlement structure.
With the January 2026 euro adoption, Bulgaria's payment environment has aligned with eurozone standards and card acceptance infrastructure is growing, but Discover and Diners Club cards have almost no local issuance base in Europe, so they cannot become a primary method for Bulgarian consumers. The deciding factor for this method is not local market share but whether you actually see traffic from visitors and foreign residents holding cards issued abroad, such as in the United States.
Businesses that serve customers of varied nationalities—such as accommodation, airfare, and rental car bookings catering to tourism and business travel demand, or English-language shops that draw in a mix of global customers—can see reduced decline rates by adding Discover alongside Visa and Mastercard. Conversely, if your business is oriented mainly toward local Bulgarian consumers, card wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, or PayPal, should take priority.
When a consumer enters a card number or pays with a saved card, approval is processed through the Discover network, and transactions from EU consumers may be subject to a 3DS2 authentication step to satisfy PSD2's Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) requirement. Hecto Financial receives the approved amount in euros (EUR), converts it, and settles it to the merchant in Korea in the currency chosen at contract—USD, KRW, or JPY.
A merchant in Korea can consider accepting Discover through Hecto Financial without a separate contract in Bulgaria. If your business has a low share of customers using foreign-issued cards, you should evaluate the practical benefit of adoption first, and detailed terms such as settlement cycle, fees, and currency options should be confirmed before signing a contract.
※ This section describes the general support process and does not guarantee that integration will be available for a specific merchant. Please confirm exact coverage and fees through consultation.
Confirm contract eligibility for businesses registered in Korea
Integration method and priority vary depending on your online sales channel mix—own store, open marketplace, mobile app, etc.
Check in advance whether your products fall under categories restricted by Discover's merchant policy
Confirm compliance with EU payment regulations such as PSD2 and SEPA (see official sources below)
Discover payments made in Bulgaria are received by Hecto Financial in euros (EUR), and settlement to the merchant in Korea is made in a single currency chosen at contract—USD, KRW, or JPY—after conversion. The settlement cycle and fee rate follow contract terms. As is typical for card payments, a chargeback process exists, and sales to consumers within the EU may also be subject to refund requests under the 14-day withdrawal right, so the processing timeframes for both procedures should be managed separately.
The Hecto Financial team will work with you to review a payment method mix suited to the Bulgarian market.
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