MasterPass by MasterCard Makes European Debut in the UK

• MasterPass helps retailers in the UK to avoid checkout abandonment that costs the industry £6 billion every year
• Service enhances and simplifies the physical and digital shopping experience for consumers and retailers
• Boots UK, Argos, House of Fraser, The Hut Group, Seetickets.com, and MBNA, among key committed partners

London - British consumers will be the first in Europe to experience MasterPass by MasterCard. Major high street and online brands, including, Argos* Boots UK*, House of Fraser*,The Hut Group, and Seetickets.com join thousands of retailers in the United States, Australia and Canada offering MasterPass to their consumers.

MBNA is confirmed as one of the first issuers on the MasterPass platform in the UK.

MasterPass is a digital service that allows consumers to use any payment card or enabled device to discover enhanced and secure shopping experiences with just a click, tap or touch – online, in-store or anywhere. It moves payments forward by allowing the consumer to safely store all their payment, store card, loyalty, shipping and billing address details in one place and gives consumers the ability to make a payment from wherever they are with whatever device they have.

The world we shop in is constantly evolving, and the ways we pay should keep pace. With a single click of the MasterPass button on a retailer site, the consumer can access their wallet of choice and authenticate with a password to checkout. In addition to MasterCard cards, consumers can use other branded credit, debit, prepaid and private label cards.

MasterPass comes as eCommerce growth in the UK continues to outstrip retail sales. MasterCard Advisor’s SpendingPulse data shows total UK year-on-year eCommerce sales grew by more than 12% in May 2013, compared to just 3% growth in overall UK retail sales for the same month last year.

Marion King, President, UK and Ireland at MasterCard said:

For retailers, MasterPass provides a faster, easier way to check out their customers, and increase sales without significantly changing the way they currently process payments. MasterPass can help retailers reduce checkout abandonment rates, which affected 37% of all online transactions in the first quarter of 2013, equating to more than £6 billion in much needed revenue per year according to IMRG and Capgemini**. UK consumers spend more than £62 billion a year online.

Sarah Jasper, Commercial Marketing Director, The Hut Group said:

Across each of our retail sites we see innovation in checkout experience having a measurable impact on customer loyalty. MasterPass provides our customers with a faster, more convenient way to shop and helps us attract and retain new customers too.”

“MasterPass is globally interoperable and already live in the US, Canada and Australia with additional launches planned across Europe, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East throughout 2013 and 2014. International retailers can now accept MasterPass payments from around the world with one simple integration to the platform.”

The full MasterPass suite of services includes:

• MasterPass checkout services – provides retailers with a convenient way to accept electronic payments online and in-store from any MasterPass connected wallet. When in-store, MasterPass will work with NFC and QR codes to provide consumer choice about the best way to pay, whether with cards or mobile.
• MasterPass connected wallets – providing banks, retailers and other partners with their own branded MasterPass wallet or ability to connect their proprietary wallet to the MasterPass acceptance network.
• MasterPass value added services – enriching the shopping experience before, during and after checkout, integrating services such as loyalty programs, as well as Priceless offers and experiences.

Supporting Partner Quotes:

“Customers abandon online shopping baskets at the checkout for a number of reasons, such as lack of convenient delivery options or security certification, hidden charges, length of checkout process, or just because they are still browsing and want to ensure the price is complete with no ‘add-ons’. Digital wallets represent a major step forward in bringing down basket abandonment by offering the customer greatly enhanced speed, convenience, trust and certainty.”

James Roper, Chief Executive, IMRG

“Fast, secure and simple payment options are critical for consumers in today’s world; and as a major lender looking through the eyes of its customers, we recognise the importance of digital payments and a world beyond cash. Integrating the MasterPass digital wallet technology with MBNA’s existing capabilities is another exciting leap forward for our business – it is an innovation that further strengthens the evolution of consumer payment power from pen, to pocket, to PC and phone.”

Michael Donald, Business Development and Marketing Executive for MBNA

Merchants and Financial Institutions Embrace MasterPass

Merchants, issuers and supporting partners working with MasterCard to support the launch of MasterPass UK include:

Distribution Partners: Bank of America

Retail Partners: All Sole, Argos, Beauty Expert, Boots UK, Exante Diet, GetMonkeys, Go-Ahead Group, House of Fraser, HQ Hair, iwantoneofthose.com, La Paire, Look Fantastic, Look Mantastic, Mankind.co.uk, My Bag, MyProtein.com, MyVitamins.com, Prezzybox, Probikekit.com, Seraphine, Seetickets.com The Hut, Zavvi

Technology Partners: Credit Call, DataCash, LinkTo.tvTM, MoPowered, Optimal Payments, Sage Pay, Secure Trading, The Logic Group, Usablenet, WorldPay



About MasterCard

MasterCard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. We operate the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MasterCardNews, join the discussion on the Cashless Conversations Blog and subscribe for the latest news.


Notes:

*Committed partners who will make MasterPass available for customer use shortly.

** Research into basket abandonment from the IMRG and Cap Gemini. Based on an annual spend of £62.4 billion pounds in the UK online.