Net Element's PayOnline Launches Payment Acceptanc

MIAMI, FL--(Marketwired - Aug 17, 2017) - Net Element, Inc. ( NASDAQ : NETE ) ("Net Element" or the "Company"), a global financial technology and value-added solutions group that supports electronic payments acceptance in an omni-channel environment spanning across point-of-sale (POS), e-commerce and mobile devices, today announces that its PayOnline subsidiary has launched a payment acceptance module for four popular instant messenger applications: Telegram, Viber, Facebook and VK.

PayOnline's Instant Payments Module is made possible through a collaboration with Botmother , a cross-platform which allows its users to quickly set up chat-bots for four popular instant messengers without the knowledge of programming languages or need to write lengthy codes. Botmother is a visual designer for chat-bots, which helps to collect useful bots that work in several instant messengers such as Telegram, Viber, Facebook and VKontakte.

Chat-bots allow merchants to reduce customer support calls and inquiries by up to 80%, and create an effective marketing channel to share news and promote special offers. PayOnline's Instant Payments Module for chat-bots is easy to use; a secure payment page opens directly in the mobile messenger, eliminating the need to go to a browser. The commercial terms for payments in chat-bots are similar to the standard conditions for Internet acquiring.

"Chat-bots can be created for different purposes: to reduce the cost of customer support, improve corporate image or to increase sales. We at Botmother believe that bots with sales functions are the most useful technology application. This is a new automated channel for selling products and services where users spend a large part of their time in instant messengers," says Sergey Budyakov, one of the creators of the Botmother platform. "We are glad that our colleagues at PayOnline decided to offer their customers such a service using our designer platform. We believe that the future is for bots that will save entrepreneurs from routine and simplify the lives of ordinary people. We plan to create new tools for developing the next generation of bots for smart devices such as smart glasses, smart contact lenses and other devices enhanced with artificial intelligence. We are ready to adapt and are confident that our design will be suitable for most bot platforms of the future - along with payments via PayOnline."

The incorporation of chat-bots to instant messenger applications represents a global opportunity; the instant messaging market is in the midst of unprecedented growth, with a user base expected to increase from over 3.2 billion users in 2016 to over 4.1 billion by end of 2020, according to The Radicati Group Inc .

About Net Element Net Element, Inc. ( NASDAQ : NETE ) operates a payments-as-a-service transactional and value-added services platform for small to medium enterprise ("SME") in the US and selected emerging markets. In the US it aims to grow transactional revenue by innovating SME productivity services such as its cloud based, restaurant and retail point-of-sale solution Aptito. Internationally, Net Element's strategy is to leverage its omni-channel platform to deliver flexible offerings to emerging markets with diverse banking, regulatory and demographic conditions such as UAE, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan where initiatives have been recently launched. Net Element was named in 2016 by South Florida Business Journal as one of the fastest growing technology companies. Further 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 the referenced payment acceptance module for instant messenger applications will be beneficial to the Company, whether Net Element can secure any additional financing and if such additional financing will be adequate to meet the Company's objectives. 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; (xii) adverse effects of potentially deteriorating U.S.-Russia relations, including, without limitation, over a conflict related to Ukraine, including a risk of further U.S. government sanctions or other legal restrictions on U.S. businesses doing business in Russia. 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.