Wednesday, April 14, 2010

MasterCard's Easy Savings Program for Small Biz



http://www.mastercard.com

MasterCard® Easy Savings™ Program Adds New Merchant Offers to Help Small Businesses Save Money

MasterCard program provides automatic savings on everyday small business purchases; iPhone/iPod Touch app makes it easy for users to find savings on the go
PURCHASE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MasterCard Worldwide today announced that Continental Airlines, Budget Truck Rental, Harry & David and VerticalResponse will join the list of merchants offering small businesses automatic discounts and savings through the MasterCard Easy Savings Program. Monster®, the leading global online careers and recruitment resource, has also expanded its program participation to offer small businesses additional savings on recruitment services. Eligible MasterCard small business credit, signature debit and business prepaid U.S. cardholders enrolled in the program receive exclusive automatic rebates at over 30,000 merchant locations. Additionally, new MasterCard data demonstrates unique program benefits for merchants, including ways to attract new customers and generate revenue.
“As a leading provider of business and consumer air travel, we strive to provide world-class service and an outstanding flight experience at an affordable rate for our business customers”
“While the current economy has made it difficult for businesses of all sizes to succeed and grow, small businesses have been hit harder than most. These additions to the MasterCard Easy Savings Program will help small businesses save money on necessary business expenses, including airfare, shipping, email marketing, car and truck rental, and even their daily cup of coffee,” said Eugene DeSilva, Vice President, Small Business, MasterCard Worldwide. “This expansion demonstrates our commitment to helping small businesses find innovative and easy ways to get more for their money. Additionally, the program provides merchants and financial institutions with new ways to attract new customers, build loyalty and generate revenue.”
New Offers Provide Added Savings for Small Businesses
The MasterCard Easy Savings Program offers eligible MasterCard small business credit, signature debit and business prepaid cardholders automatic rebates from 24 merchant partners. MasterCard small business cardholders enrolled in the MasterCard Easy Savings Program can now receive rebates on airfare, truck rental, business gifts and email marketing through the following offers:
  • Continental Airlines – MasterCard small business cardholders now receive a 2 percent rebate on Continental Airlines tickets when purchased with an enrolled card online at continental.com. The world’s fifth largest airline, Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and together with its regional partners, carries approximately 63 million passengers per year.

  • Budget Truck Rental – MasterCard small business cardholders can now receive a 5 percent rebate on truck charges. Budget Truck Rental is one of the largest truck rental companies in the United States, operating through a network of more than 2,600 locations across the nation.

  • Harry & David – Small businesses can now enjoy a 7 percent savings on all purchases made at Harry & David. Harry & David offers a selection of gourmet food and fresh fruit for employee and client recognition and appreciation, and has been providing gifts of unsurpassed quality for more than 75 years.

  • Monster.com – Small businesses can now receive a 10 percent rebate on recruitment services from Monster, up from 5 percent announced in January 2008. Small business employers can post jobs and gain access to the world’s largest resume database on Monster.com. Automatic savings on Monster products are available to enrolled cardholders, allowing businesses to effectively utilize their recruitment dollars.

  • VerticalResponse – Now MasterCard small business cardholders can save 10 percent on their email marketing, online surveys, and postcards – helping them to increase their sales and grow their businesses. VerticalResponse is a leading provider of self-service email marketingonline surveys and direct mail services empowering small businesses to easily create, manage and analyze their own direct marketing campaigns.

Program Provides Merchants a Unique Way to Attract Customers and Generate Revenue
In addition to offering savings for small businesses, the MasterCard Easy Savings Program provides unique benefits to merchants, including ways to attract new customers, build loyalty and generate revenue. According to MasterCard data, cardholder spend with the top 10 Easy Savings merchants increased by 37 percent from 2008 to 2009. Additionally, the MasterCard Easy Savings Program offers drew new customers to participating merchants. MasterCard data shows that 64 percent of customers who received offers through the MasterCard Easy Savings Program from 2008 to 2009 were new customers for the top 10 participating merchants.
“As a leading provider of business and consumer air travel, we strive to provide world-class service and an outstanding flight experience at an affordable rate for our business customers,” said Mark Bergsrud, Senior Vice President, Marketing Programs & Distribution, Continental Airlines. “The MasterCard Easy Savings Program allows us to provide additional value to our small business customers by enabling them to save money on necessary purchases, like airfare. Offering discounts through this program will allow us to reach more small business customers and build loyalty among existing small business travelers.”
Easy Savings iPhone/iPod Touch App Helps Small Business Find Savings on the Go
The MasterCard Easy Savings iPhone and iPod Touch application enables small businesses to find participating MasterCard Easy Savings Program merchants on the go. A free, location-enabled application, the MasterCard Easy Savings Program app maps a user’s current location and displays participating program merchants with offers in the area. Offers are displayed with icons identifying the type of merchant and can be viewed on a “radar screen” with a user’s current location as the center, on a map with local streets and highways, or in list format. To make searching for nearby offers easier, the filter feature allows the user to display only merchant categories of interest, including a list of favorites. The app provides relevant merchant and offer details in a portable, easy-to-use format, making it easy for small businesses to save money on the go. The app is available for download through the Apple iTunes App Store: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/easy-savings-program/id348146165?mt=8.
About the MasterCard Easy Savings Program
The MasterCard Easy Savings Program provides MasterCard small business cardholders from nearly 60 participating business card issuers with automatic savings through rebates, applied to their statements. Categories include: fuel and maintenance, business services, travel and entertainment, printing and shipping. Participating merchants include the U.S. Postal Service, Fuelman Network with over 17,500 brand-name gas stations, Dunkin’ Donuts, Avis, Microsoft adCenter and others. A full listing of participating merchants and offers can be found at www.easysavings.com.
About MasterCard
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 over 22 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. Follow us on Twitter: @mastercardnews.

Contacts

MasterCard Worldwide

Tristan Jordan, 914-249-5724
tristan_jordan@mastercard.com
Permalink: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100413005629/en/MasterCard%C2%AE-Easy-Savings%E2%84%A2-Program-Adds-Merchant-Offers


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