It is the renewal of a partnership that dates back to 2002 when Visa signed up to be the first worldwide partner of the IPC and the Paralympic Games.

As part of the agreement, Visa will retain exclusive marketing and promotional rights within the payment services category and activation opportunities for financial institution clients and merchants throughout the world.

New benefits include title sponsorship of the Paralympic Hall of Fame, which was established in 2006 to celebrate the achievements and spirit of Paralympic athletes and their coaches, and branding opportunities on various IPC media assets, including ParalympicSport.TV.

The renewal follows the recent extension of Visa's Olympic Games sponsorship for another eight years - through 2020.

Antonio Lucio, the chief marketing officer of Visa, said: "At Visa, we are dedicated to the continued support and success of the Paralympic Games, the participating athletes and the entire Paralympic Movement.

"With more than 500 million people worldwide living with a disability, we understand the importance of providing continued support to this community.

"Through events such as the Paralympic Games, we at Visa are proud to support the values of empowerment and inclusion."

Sir Philip Craven, the President of the IPC, said: "We are extremely pleased that Visa has extended its partnership with the IPC, helping to raise awareness of the Paralympic Games and the achievements of Paralympic athletes worldwide.

"Visa's involvement through technology, expertise, products and personnel is fundamental to the staging of the Paralympic Games and we look forward to a successful relationship in the years ahead."

Visa are one of four worldwide IPC partners.

The others are Otto Bock, Samsung and Atos Origin.