The Japanese Transport Ministry and MasterCard are to issue 5000 dual currency store-of-value and chip-based credit cards to World Cup ticket holders for the purchase of goods and use of public transport in Japan and South Korea during the 2002 soccer tournament in June.
Japanese language news agency Kyodo says the Ministry will issue the IC-chip embedded card free of charge to World Cup ticket-holders, for use as a Mastercard credit card and for electronic money transactions in Japanese yen and South Korean won.
The cards will be programmed to provide up to 1000 yen worth of public transport to the Sapporo Dome Stadium in Hokkaido and up to 2000 yen worth of purchases in airport shops, big hotels, and 2002 World Cup official goods shops in the host cities.
According to Kyodo, currency can be loaded into the card at special machines that will be set up in each country.