MasterCard Offers Issuers in the U.S. the Ability to Provide Customers Person-to-Person Payments Using their Mobile Phones
Purchase, NY, May 13, 2009 – MasterCard today announced that their fully-integrated, on-demand person-to-person (P2P) mobile payment platform for issuers in the United States is set to go live later this month. With this new platform, MasterCard participating bank customers will be able to offer Mobile MasterCard MoneySend™ P2P payments to their customers. Mobile MoneySend is the breakthrough consumer payment platform that provides a better way to send and receive funds via SMS-text, mobile browser, mobile applet or an Internet PC. Initially, consumers will be able to use MoneySend with a MasterCard prepaid card issued by The Bancorp Bank and then link it to their mobile phone number to send or receive money.
As additional issuers enroll for the platform, their customers will be able to use MoneySend with their everyday accounts, including MasterCard debit, credit, prepaid or checking, as determined by their issuer. Once registered for MoneySend, consumers have the flexibility of directly, easily and securely transferring funds to and from family and friends through their mobile phone, eliminating the need to write or cash checks, visit ATMs, or wire money domestically.
Senders initiate transfers to any domestic mobile phone number via SMS message, mobile web browser or a downloadable MoneySend application. Upon initiation of the transfer, the sender approves the request by entering the MoneySend mobile PIN which only the accountholder knows. Then the recipient receives a text message confirmation of the transfer (for pre-registered users) or that the transfer is pending (for yet to be registered users). The funds can then be accessed by the recipient through an account designated during the registration process. Initially, this will be a prepaid account with The Bancorp Bank. These funds are then available for access through the mobile phone. If the consumer has a MasterCard card associated with the account the funds can also be accessed at traditional points of interaction, including ATMs, over-the-counter at a bank branch, or at the point-of-sale.
“Our existing MoneySend platform and Obopay’s connectivity to mobile networks has allowed us to bring a simple solution for mobile P2P payments to consumers in the U.S. in partnership with our customer banks,” said Art Kranzley, Chief Emerging Technology Officer, MasterCard Worldwide. “We know that consumers are now constantly connected, whether in front of their computer screens or on the go with their mobile phones that are always there and always on. Since the MoneySend platform supports P2P payments through any PC or mobile device, we are able to offer a consistent transaction experience in both online and mobile channels for consumers in the U.S.”
Kranzley added, “The availability of the MoneySend P2P platform in the U.S. builds upon the success we’ve seen with MoneySend in the Asia Pacific Middle East Africa region, where it is available in 17 countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, India and the Philippines. MasterCard is continually expanding both the number of markets in which the platform is offered and the channels through which consumers can access it.”
“We know that consumers in the U.S. are looking for better ways to send money to their friends and family quickly, securely and easily,” said Terrence Crowley, Senior Vice President with The Bancorp Bank. “Leveraging MasterCard’s MoneySend platform, Bancorp is excited to be able to offer a prepaid solution that makes person-to-person money transfer via mobile phones an attractive opportunity for our cardholders.”
“With consumers clamoring for services that fit their mobile lifestyle, we’re happy to work with MasterCard, a company that has long embraced the enormous potential to turn every mobile device into a payment device,” said Obopay Senior Vice President Michael E. Diamond. “Through our partnership with MasterCard, we’re giving millions of people the means to easily and securely send money to family, friends and loved ones.”
“Nokia has long been a leader in developing mobile devices that offer access to mobile payments and is excited to see this latest innovation which takes mobile payment services to the next level in the U.S.,” said Teppo Paavola, Vice President, Corporate Business Development, Nokia. “We believe that industry collaboration is vital to the success of mobile payments and, together with Obopay and MasterCard, we look forward to further innovation in this area.”
Driving Mobile Innovation for the Industry
MasterCard continues to demonstrate its commitment to innovation in the mobile channel, as consumers increasingly seek to access on their mobile phones the online experiences they have on PCs, and use their phones for much more than telecommunications. MasterCard is using its unique perspective and wealth of experience to offer new solutions that meet the needs of an increasingly mobile society while catalyzing the secular shift away from cash and check to electronic forms of payment.
MasterCard Launches ‘ATM Hunter’ On Apple App Store
In April, MasterCard Worldwide announced that its MasterCard ATM Hunter application is available on the Apple App Store. The app lets iPhone and iPod touch users easily locate the nearest ATM no matter where in the world they are utilizing the iPhone or iPod touch’s location awareness technologies to pinpoint the search. Users can customize their hunt based on their unique banking needs, such as focusing their search to a specific financial institution if they need to make a deposit or wish to avoid ATM withdrawal fees, and can pinpoint wheelchair accessible, drive-through, or 24-hour access ATMs and provide the directions to get there. The MasterCard ATM Hunter also automatically provides users with helpful ATM safety tips.
MasterCard and Blaze Mobile Introduce Mobile Sticker
In March, MasterCard teamed up with Blaze Mobile to introduce the Blaze Mobile MasterCard PayPass mobile payment sticker. The small mobile payment sticker can be affixed to any mobile device, enabling it to be used for contactless purchases at any of the over 146,000 merchant locations that accept PayPass. The mobile payment sticker is tied to a prepaid account and is issued by MetaBank.
Orange, Barclaycard and MasterCard to Develop NFC-based Mobile Payment Services
In March, Orange and Barclaycard announced that they play to launch new co-brand products and services to make the buying process more convenient, simpler and faster. Customers will be able to utilize their mobile phones to pay for goods and services at retailers using the NFC contactless technology, by simply waving their handset against a reader. MasterCard will provide the payment capabilities for the transactions.
MasterCard Announces Success of MasterCard Mobile Partner Program
In November, MasterCard announced that over 30 companies have joined the MasterCard Mobile Partner Program. The MasterCard Mobile Partner Program is a global online resource center designed to foster knowledge-sharing, manage document distribution, track product implementations and evaluate partnership opportunities within the mobile industry.
MasterCard Announces MasterCard Over-the-Air Provisioning Service
In October, MasterCard announced the launch of the MasterCard Over-the-Air Provisioning Service, the first program of its kind that enables issuers to perform over-the-air personalization of their cardholders’ mobile devices in an easy, one-step process. The service allows issuers to implement PayPass on mobile programs in a reduced timeframe with minimal development and implementation effort.
About the MasterCard® MoneySend™ Program
MoneySend leverages MasterCard’s superior platform capability and global network reach to provide fast, convenient and secure person-to-person (P2P) and remittance payments through a variety of channels, including ATM, bank branch, personal computer, and mobile phone, to meet local market needs. With its MoneySend platform, MasterCard delivers innovative payment services to consumers through its global network of customers.
About MasterCard Worldwide
MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide. As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard develops and markets payment solutions, processes approximately 21 billion transactions each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial-institution customers and merchants. Powered by the MasterCard Worldwide Network and through its family of brands, including MasterCard®, Maestro® and Cirrus®, MasterCard serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to www.mastercard.com.
About The Bancorp Bank
The Bancorp Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Bancorp, Inc., is an FDIC-insured commercial bank that delivers a full array of financial services and products both directly and through private-label affinity partner programs nationwide. The Bancorp Bank’s payments offering includes card issuing, card acquiring, ACH, wire transfer services and customized account structures. The Bancorp Bank maintains membership with numerous payments networks including Visa, MasterCard, Star, NYCE, PULSE and Discover.
About Obopay
Obopay, Inc. (www.obopay.com) is a pioneering service that lets consumers and small businesses purchase, pay, and transfer money through any mobile phone using Obopay’s mobile application, text message, mobile Web, widget, or Obopay.com. As the first U.S. mobile payment service created exclusively for the mobile phone, only Obopay works on any phone and any carrier to empower consumers and businesses with the convenience of mobile payments. Obopay is bringing mobile payments to more consumers through industry-first alliances and is headquartered in Redwood City, California.
Source: http://www.mastercard.com/us/company/en/newsroom/pr_mc_mobile_moneysend_platform_set_to_go_live.html
Posted June 30, 2009 
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