MasterCard 2008 Annual Report Download - page 7

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www.mastercardworldwide.com 5
we also increased our equity in Strategic Payment Services, becoming the majority stakeholder in the Australian joint venture
which provides outsourced processing solutions in the region. Our ability to make these investments refl ects our strong
capital position and forward focus.
Innovative Payment Solutions Offer Long-Range Value
We continue to roll out innovative products that make life easier for consumers, such as MasterCard PayPass®
, the leading
Tap & Go® payment solution. One noteworthy example in 2008 included partnering with Telecom Italia to develop
PayPass-enabled payments on mobile phones. We now have more than 50 million PayPass-enabled cards and devices, with
acceptance locations in 28 countries.
At the same time, we offer a number of card programs that target the affl uent segment. In Latin America, we now have
MasterCard Black™ card programs in 19 countries, as well as World Elite® MasterCard in Mexico. We also rolled out World
MasterCard® in numerous markets, including China, Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Singapore, among others. In addition,
we recently launched World Debit™ MasterCard, the fi rst premium debit card in the United States.
Meanwhile, our debit and prepaid programs continue to gain momentum around the world. To further differentiate our
offerings in the United States, we launched MasterCard Savings™
, exclusively providing MasterCard debit and prepaid
cardholders with discounts and special offers from thousands of merchants. In addition, we rolled out the Chicago Bears
Debit MasterCard card with Chase. In India, we partnered with Citibank to launch the fi rst MasterCard premium debit
program in South Asia.
In Europe, we made inroads that support the Single Euro Payments Area initiative. We began processing domestic debit
transactions in several countries and launched Debit MasterCard in Finland and Maestro-only branded cards in Germany
and Ireland. We also launched the region’s fi rst combo cards — Cartlib and Cartwin — with Crédit Agricole in France. The
cards combine debit and credit functionality, placing choice in the hands of consumers.
In addition, we’re making it easier for merchants to accept, and consumers to use, Maestro cards online. Several merchants
have registered to use the Maestro Advance Registration Program. This is a noteworthy step in advancing our e-commerce
presence, as we continue to enhance consumers’ online experience.
Our programs gained traction in the public sector as well. In 2008, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial
Management Service selected Comerica Bank as its fi nancial agent to issue Direct Express® MasterCard-branded prepaid
cards for social security and other prepaid programs. Similarly, in Italy, the fi rst national government benefi ts disbursement
program was launched with Poste Italiane using prepaid MasterCard cards. Government prepaid programs such as these
simplify the process for distributing payments.
At the same time, we continue to make advancements in mobile and person-to-person (P2P) payments. In the United States,
we are working with Obopay to create an integrated, mobile P2P platform. Meanwhile, our P2P MasterCard MoneySend®
program in India and Singapore is enabling real-time money transfers.
We also focused on the business-to-business sector, offering new programs around the world. These included MasterCard
Easy Savings™ for Small Business and the MasterCard Payment Gateway®
, which routes commercial payments between
fi nancial institutions and buyers and/or suppliers. In the United Kingdom, we partnered with Barclays Bank to launch the
Barclaycard Business card program for small businesses and forged an agreement with Royal Bank of Scotland, the fi rst
institution to leverage MasterCard inControl. This innovative platform provides advanced authorization, transaction routing
and alert controls to help cardholders and businesses better manage payments and purchasing expenditures.
“ Centering our efforts on what matters most to our customers,
we made key decisions and investments over the past year that
lay the groundwork for the future.”