MasterCard International has signed a global co-marketing agreement with smart card loyalty systems provider Welcome Real-time.
Under the agreement, MasterCard members will receive special negotiated pricing for use of Welcome's XLSmart product for interoperable, multi-user open card programmes. Members will be charged for the usage of the Welcome application on their cards with no large upfront costs. Welcome will also provide technical assistance and marketing services for the XLSmart products.
Welcome's XLSmart products will enable MasterCard credit or debit cards to store, process and deliver the electronic equivalent of incentives such as reward points, coupons, gift certificates and tickets.
The loyalty application is designed to allow merchants to target and modify a customer's individual behaviour. Merchants can offer specific incentives to their best customers to retain them and tailor incentives to improve relationships with additional customers.
Art Kranzley, chief e-business officer, MasterCard International, says: “By charging issuers for card use rather than large up-front fees, issuers can easily and inexpensively deploy a large number of cards, making it easier for merchants to then justify terminal installation. Similarly, the issuance of payment cards into a multi-user open system will help to build the critical mass of cards and acceptance locations that is key to the success of a smart card loyalty programme.”
The XLSmart system is deployable on both the Multos and Javacard platforms.