Dutch airline KLM is introducing pre-paid debit cards from ABN Amro to replace its existing system of providing cash to customers following over-booked or delayed flights.
The MasterCard Maestro cards are loaded on the spot by KLM staff. Customers can choose to withdraw their cash from any ATM worldwide in local currency, or spend it at merchants.
Luuk Nooter, senior product manager at ABN Amro says the product has the potential to be used for many other commercial and administrative applications.
"If we look further, we could start to see such Maestro pre-paid card programmes being used to pay expenses to airline staff or as rewards, or gift-cards," he says.
In a seperate initiative, MasterCard has announced the global launch of its MasterCard/Maestro Terminal Implementation Programme (M-TIP), with the support of vendors Dione, Hypercom and Verifone. The aim of the programme is to help merchants and acquirers make the switch to new PIN-enabled EMV terminals.