New MasterCard Card Layout Gives Customers Freedom, Flexibility and Value

PURCHASE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 8, 2005--MasterCard International today announced a new card design option for customer financial institutions seeking greater product enhancement and differentiation. Innovative changes include replacing the MasterCard hologram with a combination hologram/magnetic stripe or "HoloMag(TM)" on the back side of the card and flexible MasterCard brand placement on the front of the card.

"With the strength of our brand, we feel we can offer customers more ways to differentiate themselves in an increasingly crowded marketplace," says Larry Flanagan, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, Global Marketing, MasterCard International. "The new design is yet another way MasterCard empowers its customer financial institutions by providing them the freedom and the product space to meet their specific business goals and objectives."

“That's why we've created a multi-faceted branding approach. We are not requiring our customers to select any one layout for payments issuance. Instead, they can and now do have the flexibility to customize, individualize, and differentiate their products.”

Decoupling the MasterCard brand mark, hologram, and surrounding retaining line on the right side of the card actually liberates 10.5% more card face area for issuer use. As a result, financial institutions can more easily make impactful changes to pattern, color, shape and layout.

Importantly, the new card layout is not intended to replace existing branding options. The current MasterCard design will continue to be available for all MasterCard customer financial institutions. Customer financial institutions can still select the card appearance with brand mark and hologram appearing on the card lower or upper right, or a variation of the new option with the MasterCard brand mark on the card front and hologram on the card back.

Industry-leading security features will also continue to include UV printing, a tamper-evident signature panel, and indent printing of the last 4 digits of the account number plus CVC2 codes. These will remain standard requirements for all MasterCard card formats.

"We understand that each of our customers is different and has unique payments needs," says Flanagan. "That's why we've created a multi-faceted branding approach. We are not requiring our customers to select any one layout for payments issuance. Instead, they can and now do have the flexibility to customize, individualize, and differentiate their products."

The new flexible format card design is currently available for all MasterCard card programs.

About MasterCard Incorporated

MasterCard Incorporated is a leading global payments solutions company that provides a broad variety of innovative services in support of our global members' credit, deposit access, electronic cash, business-to-business and related payment programs. MasterCard, through its principal operating subsidiary, MasterCard International Incorporated, manages a family of well-known, widely accepted payment cards brands including MasterCard(R), Maestro(R) and Cirrus(R) and serves financial institutions, consumers and businesses in over 210 countries and territories. The MasterCard award-winning Priceless(R) advertising campaign is now seen in 105 countries and in 48 languages, giving the MasterCard brand a truly global reach and scope. For more information go to www.mastercardinternational.com.