MasterCard Unveils MasterCard Nearby Service

MasterCard Worldwide unveiled MasterCard Nearby, a trial of a new service that allows MasterCard cardholders to use their mobile phones to access helpful information, such as ATM and merchant locations, driving directions, rewards and special offers. All MasterCard cardholders in the United States can sign up for the service at the MasterCard Nearby website or by calling (877) 877-NEAR from any phone.

"MasterCard Nearby offers a new way for issuers, merchants and consumers to communicate and strengthen relationships with one another. It also delivers heightened convenience to busy MasterCard cardholders on the go," said Tatiana Mulry, vice president, Mobile / Wireless Center of Excellence, MasterCard Worldwide. "As this is an opt-in program, we are able to tailor it to the needs of individual cardholders. The more they ask for, the more MasterCard Nearby can deliver. We are also actively working with issuers and merchants to develop customized versions of MasterCard Nearby."

The MasterCard Nearby site is accessible from any compatible web-enabled mobile phone. Interested consumers simply need to use their computer to access the MasterCard Nearby website, identify themselves as MasterCard cardholders, and then create a unique user profile. Ongoing access is then available directly on the phone. Once consumers log into the WAP site at wap.mcnearby.com for the first time, they are permanently logged into the service. Developed in partnership with go2, MasterCard Nearby allows users to access the information they need from the mobile's Internet browser or have the information delivered to their phones via SMS messages.

"Consumers have the ability to search for ATMs and merchant locations in the U.S. as well as ATMs in several countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. Cardholders have come to expect a wide variety of services, rewards and offers when using their MasterCard payment cards, and we want to translate that experience to the mobile phone environment," added Tatiana Mulry.