Aptito, LLC Announces Visa Ready Status for Their mPOS Solution

Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ:NETE), a technology-driven group specializing in mobile payments and value-added transactional services in emerging countries and in the United States, is pleased to announce today that Aptito, LLC (“Aptito”), has achieved Visa Ready status for their mPOS solution. Aptito is a next generation, cloud-based point of sale payments platform, operated through TOT Group, Inc. (“TOT”) the mobile payments and transaction processing subsidiary of Net Element.

Aptito helps restaurants drive consumer engagement via tablet, mobile and all other cloud-connected devices. Aptito’s mPOS system provides hospitality merchants with tools to increase sales, productivity, and customer loyalty. The solution is a tablet-based POS that combines traditional POS functionality with mobile ordering, payments, social media, intelligent offers, mobile applications, loyalty, and transactional data all in one solution supported by Aptito’s cloud-based payments platform. Restaurants can leverage Aptito to plug into social networks, daily deal promotions and other marketing programs while having the ability to use Aptito’s integrated mobile marketing tools to deploy their own lead generation campaigns and loyalty rewards.

The Visa Ready Partner Program is designed to provide innovators a path to ensure that devices, software and solutions used to initiate or accept Visa payments are compatible with Visa's requirements, which may vary by country. It also provides a framework for the collaboration with Visa, as well as guidance and best practices to access the power of the Visa network. Mobile point-of-sale acceptance (mPOS) providers, mobile NFC-enabled device manufacturers, as well as chip and platform providers are among the stakeholders that are already playing a critical role in enabling new ways to pay and that will benefit from the Visa Ready Partner Program.

Accepting payments tableside enables faster service and reduced wait time for consumers. Aptito’s “visual” point of sale concept is designed to speed employee training and increase order input productivity. Additionally, Aptito offers a mobile commerce application that allows any restaurant to deploy mobile ordering tied to the mPOS. Aptito’s Self Ordering Apple® iPad®-based kiosk allows operators to increase sales by providing an automated ordering system which gives customers the speed and convenience that has been lacking in many areas of food industry including Quick Service Restaurants (“QSR”).

“As a member of the Visa Ready community, Aptito has adopted all of the standards and best practices as defined by Visa for magnetic stripe, chip, and contactless payWave acceptance,” said Oleg Firer, CEO of Net Element. “We are aligned with Visa’s rigorous security requirements and are fully tested and approved for PCI compliance so that merchants can have confidence in the safety of their mPOS system.”

TOT Group is a multinational mobile payments and transaction processing holding company that provides a vast range of flexible online and offline payment solutions. Clients include wireless carriers, content providers and merchants. TOT Group creates and delivers innovative, end-to-end payment solutions to enable commerce around the world with a focus on emerging markets. TOT Group and its subsidiaries offer innovative technologies which allow merchants to streamline their payments resources including processing of electronic payments at the point-of-sale (“POS”), processing mobile commerce transactions, managing merchant terminals and providing information management services.

About Visa Inc.

Visa, Inc. (NYSE: V) is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable electronic payments. We operate one of the world's most advanced processing networks - VisaNet - that is capable of handling more than 24,000 transaction messages a second, with fraud protection for consumers and assured payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa's innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, ahead of time with prepaid or later with credit products. For more information, visit corporate.visa.com.

About Net Element (NASDAQ: NETE)

Net Element (NASDAQ: NETE) is a global technology-driven group specializing in mobile payments and value-added transactional services. The company owns and operates a global mobile payments and transaction processing provider, TOT Group. TOT Group companies include Unified Payments, recognized by Inc. Magazine as the #1 Fastest Growing Private Company in America in 2012, Aptito, a next generation cloud-based point of sale payments platform, and TOT Money, which has a leading position in Russia and has been ranked as the #1 SMS content provider by Beeline, Russia's second largest telecommunications operator. Together with its subsidiaries, Net Element enables ecommerce and adds value to mobile commerce environments. Its global development centers and high-level business relationships in the United States, Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States strategically position the company for continued growth. The company has U.S. headquarters in Miami and headquarters in Moscow. More information is available at www.netelement.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements. Words such as "continue," "will," "may," "could," "should," "expect," "expected," "plans," "intend," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, whether Net Element or its business continues to grow. All forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, many of which are generally outside the control of Net Element and are difficult to predict. Examples of such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: (i) Net Element's ability (or inability) to obtain additional financing in sufficient amounts or on acceptable terms when needed; (ii) Net Element's ability to maintain existing, and secure additional, contracts with users of its payment processing services; (iii) Net Element's ability to successfully expand in existing markets and enter new markets; (iv) Net Element's ability to successfully manage and integrate any acquisitions of businesses, solutions or technologies; (v) unanticipated operating costs, transaction costs and actual or contingent liabilities; (vi) the ability to attract and retain qualified employees and key personnel; (vii) adverse effects of increased competition on Net Element's business; (viii) changes in government licensing and regulation that may adversely affect Net Element's business; (ix) the risk that changes in consumer behavior could adversely affect Net Element's business; (x) Net Element's ability to protect its intellectual property; (xi) local, industry and general business and economic conditions; and (xii) that the Visa Ready status makes the Aptito MPos solution secure and reliable or that the said status will positively impact sales or implementations of the Aptito product. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements can be found in the most recent annual report on Form 10-K and the subsequently filed quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K filed by Net Element with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Net Element anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause its plans, intentions and expectations to change. Net Element assumes no obligation, and it specifically disclaims any intention or obligation, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by law.