Ritienne Grima and Cheryl Hili are the BOV cardholders who won themselves two exclusive FIFA World Cup packages.

The tickets were presented to the lucky winners by Ivo Camilleri, executive Electronic Banking at Bank of Valletta during a brief presentation at the National Stadium in Ta' Qali.

The promotion, which ran between 30 March and 28 April, was organised by Bank of Valletta in collaboration with Visa and was open to all BOV Visa cardholders who used their BOV Visa debit card or BOV Visa credit card to effect purchase transactions, whether online or at retail outlets.

While congratulating Grima and Hili, Camilleri said: "We are delighted to have teamed up with Visa for this successful promotion that saw more people using their BOV cards to effect payments."

He explained that statistics show that card payments are on the increase, but traditional methods of payment like cash or cheques are still popular. "At Bank of Valletta, we continue to invest in alternative methods of payments and digital channels, such as contactless cards that spell important benefits for both cardholders and merchants, as well as the new BOV Internet Banking that has been launched in May, with a view to make the customer experience simpler and more seamless."

Grima received an exclusive package for two to watch one of the semi-final matches, whereas Cheryl's tickets are for the final game. Both packages include a full five-day programme for two, featuring deluxe hotel accommodation as well as access to the pre-match hospitality area.

In addition, both winners received a complimentary cash prize of €3,000 each that was deposited into their BOV Visa card accounts.