Everyday payments by Maltese consumers are dominated by Visa and Mastercard-branded cards, and Discover is a network with almost no local issuance base in Europe. This page therefore assumes not 'targeting local Maltese consumers,' but rather serving as a complementary method to avoid missing visitors and expatriates transacting in Malta with Discover or Diners Club cards issued offshore, such as in the United States.

If you operate a lodging, tour, or education service business where English-speaking tourists, particularly North American travelers and long-term visitors, account for a meaningful share of payments, you can consider adding Discover acceptance on top of your primary card networks to reduce declined transactions.

When a consumer enters their offshore-issued Discover or Diners Club card details, authorization proceeds through the Discover global network. Cards issued within the EEA are subject to PSD2 Strong Customer Authentication (SCA, 3DS2), but cards issued outside the region, such as in the United States, that are used by visitors to Malta may follow a different authentication flow. Once approved, euro (EUR) proceeds are received and converted by Hecto Financial, then settled in a currency of choice among USD, KRW, and JPY.

Through Hecto Financial, you can explore acceptance as a Korea-registered business without contracting directly with the Discover network. Whether authorization is available, along with fees and settlement conditions, varies by industry and transaction structure, so confirmation before signing a contract is required.

• Business registration country

  Confirm contract eligibility as a Korea-registered business

• Sales channels

  Integration method and priority vary depending on your online sales channel mix, such as owned storefronts, open marketplaces, and mobile apps

• Product categories handled

  Advance confirmation is needed to check whether your business falls under a category restricted by Discover's merchant policies

• EU regulatory compliance

  Confirmation is needed that you comply with EU payment regulations such as PSD2 and SEPA (see official sources below)

The settlement flow is the same for Discover card payments. Proceeds authorized in euros (EUR) are received and converted by Hecto Financial, then paid out to the Korean merchant in a currency of choice among USD, KRW, and JPY, with the cycle following contract terms. Given the nature of offshore-issued cards, dispute (chargeback) handling follows Discover network rules, and it is advisable to have procedures in place to handle the 14-day withdrawal right for sales to consumers within the EU.

• Central Bank of Malta / Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA)Official information on Malta's payment systems and supervisory regulations. If this page's content differs from actual regulations, the official source takes precedence.