Mastercard Incorporated Stock Price, News & Analysis

Alibaba.com, in partnership with Mastercard and Cardless, has announced the launch of its first co-branded U.S. credit card, the Alibaba.com Business Edge Credit Card. Designed for small businesses, the card offers significant benefits for cross-border and domestic sourcing purchases:

- 3% cashback or 60-day interest-free payment terms on Alibaba.com purchases up to $40,000 per year
- 2% cashback on business expenses like advertising and dining
- 1% cashback on all other purchases
- 90-day order protection through Alibaba.com's Trade Assurance service
- Access to Mastercard World Elite benefits

The card, available later in 2024, aims to enhance value for SMEs in global sourcing with a $199 annual fee.

Mastercard's Gamer Academy is fostering diversity in esports, a $1 billion industry with a global audience of 532 million. The academy, launched by Mastercard's Raja Rajamannar, provides 10 gamers, including 7 women, with access to high-profile esports events, professionals, and career development opportunities. Doreen Dabi-Diamond and Meg Cabras, two participants, are breaking barriers in the male-dominated field.

The program partners with G2 and Riot Games, offering three semesters of learning about gaming career paths and travel to competitions like Valorant Champions Seoul. The initiative aims to create role models and reduce gender bias in gaming. Participants are exploring various career paths, from esports company leadership to talent management and industry ambassadorship.

Mastercard has launched its Payment Passkey Service globally, starting with a pilot in India. This innovative service aims to enhance online shopping security and convenience by replacing traditional passwords and one-time passwords (OTPs) with biometric authentication methods like fingerprints or facial scans.

The service is being piloted with major Indian payment players, including Juspay, Razorpay, PayU, bigbasket, and Axis Bank. It addresses the growing concern of online fraud in India, which has seen a 300% increase in the last two years. The Payment Passkey Service uses tokenization to secure transactions without sharing financial account data with third parties.

Mastercard plans to roll out the service globally in the coming months, aiming to create a more transparent commerce ecosystem and advance towards a tokenized future in digital payments.

Rellevate, a fintech company, has partnered with Mastercard to expand digital payments capabilities in the U.S. public sector. This collaboration aims to enhance financial inclusion and provide innovative services for flexible money access, particularly for underserved communities. The partnership builds on Rellevate's success with the $1 billion One-Time Cash Assistance Program in Georgia, which supported 3 million Georgians and featured one of the largest deployments of virtual wallets in a government program.

Rellevate and Mastercard will work with local, city, and state governments to create faster and more efficient ways for constituents to access and manage their money. The partnership also extends to specialty programs with organizations like UNICEF, Detroit Crime Stoppers, and Foster Care Agencies, implementing digital wallet solutions and other innovative payment technologies.

Mastercard Strive is supporting small businesses in their transition to a green economy through partnerships and innovative technologies. Key initiatives include:

1. Reducing single-use plastic packaging: Partnering with Novek in Kenya to develop IoT-enabled dispensing systems, and with Alner in Indonesia for reusable packaging solutions.

2. Promoting circular economy participation: Collaborating with Tern Eco in the UK to enable small retailers to set up circular retail programs.

3. Facilitating ESG reporting: Partnering with Vested Impact to provide affordable impact assessments for small businesses.

4. Supporting climate-smart agriculture: Working with California Farmlink to integrate capital tools and conservation measures for farmers.

These initiatives aim to help small businesses meet consumer demands for sustainability, comply with evolving regulations, and contribute to global net-zero emissions goals.

Mastercard showcases its commitment to inclusive growth and sustainable development in the latest episode of the ESG Decoded Podcast. Host Amanda Hsieh interviews Shamina Singh, Founder and President of Mastercard's Center for Inclusive Growth. The podcast, released on August 12, 2024, in Northampton, MA, highlights Mastercard's efforts in promoting financial inclusion and sustainable practices.

The discussion likely covers Mastercard's initiatives to bridge economic gaps, empower underserved communities, and integrate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles into its business model. This aligns with the growing trend of corporations focusing on sustainability and social responsibility alongside financial performance.

Mastercard (NYSE: MA) has announced its participation in two upcoming investor conferences. Ed McLaughlin, president & chief technology officer, will present at the Deutsche Bank Technology Conference in Dana Point, CA on August 29 at 11:45 a.m. ET for approximately 35 minutes. Sachin Mehra, chief financial officer, will present at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference in San Francisco, CA on September 9 at 6:05 p.m. ET, also for about 35 minutes.

Both presentations will be available via live audio webcast, with replays archived for 30 days at investor.mastercard.com. These conferences provide opportunities for investors to gain insights into Mastercard's strategies and performance directly from top executives.

Mastercard (MA) has provided an update on its commitment to USAID's PREPARE Call to Action, aimed at helping 500 million people in developing countries adapt to climate change. The company's initiatives include:

1. Partnering with BFA Global and CIFAR Alliance to scale fintech solutions for climate resilience, launching the Climate Smart Product Innovation Hub with 74 climate-aligned fintech innovations.

2. Aiming to bring 30 million people onto the Community Pass platform within five years.

3. Collaborating with Co-operative Bank of Kenya and Shell Foundation to provide up to 100,000 farmers access to credit for clean energy farming technologies.

Mastercard emphasizes the importance of combining governmental initiatives with private sector support to maximize impact on global climate resilience.

Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE: MA) has released its second quarter 2024 financial results on its Investor Relations website. The company will host a conference call at 9:00 a.m. ET to discuss these results. Interested parties can join the call using the provided toll-free (1-888-330-2508) or toll (1-240-789-2735) dial-in numbers with the conference ID 6451878. A replay of the call will be available for 30 days, and the webcast recording along with related materials can be accessed on the company's investor relations website.