MasterCard and 100 Resilient Cities Partner to Help New Zealand Cities become more Efficient, Inclusive and Sustainable

New Zealand – July 14, 2016 – MasterCard has announced it is partnering with 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) – pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation – to use its technology and expertise in digital payments to advise member cities including Christchurch and Wellington in New Zealand.

MasterCard will work with 100RC to help cities understand the risks of a cash-based economy and the opportunities associated with converting to digital payments – including the development and implementation of resilience strategies to mitigate challenges created by ageing infrastructure, economic shifts and natural disasters.

“In the face of rapid urbanisation, removing cash from the economy has been shown to create far-reaching and cumulative benefits to all – citizens, businesses, tourists and governments,” said Craig Driver, vice president, Government Services and Solutions for MasterCard. “Working with 100RC, we can tap into our expertise creating digital payment solutions for governments to help cities achieve greater cost-savings and efficiencies, drive revenue, reduce crime, establish digital identities for their citizens, expand financial inclusion and improve overall quality of life.”

Peter Chisnall, Country Manager for MasterCard New Zealand and Pacific Islands said: “We are excited to work with 100RC, and particularly proud that two of the 100 cities are Christchurch and Wellington. At MasterCard, we believe successful cities will be smart cities that harness the power of transaction and usage data to become more efficient and sustainable. MasterCard wants to help advise and enable these cities to invest in the right infrastructure so that Kiwis have better access to public services.”

MasterCard is currently engaged with governments on more than 1,300 programmes in more than 60 countries to reduce the reliance on cash and address payment needs such as social benefits, government payroll, procurement, government receipts, and transit among others.

• In Singapore, at World Cities Summit 2016, MasterCard announced with the Singapore Economic Development Board that they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to help companies in Singapore build innovative technology solutions in urban mobility, tourism and trade.

• In Singapore, MasterCard worked with ComfortDelGro, Singapore’s largest taxi operator, to launch the first ever MasterPass in-app checkout for their 17,000-strong taxi fleet. Enabled with MasterPass, the ComfortDelGro Taxi Booking app allows commuters who book with the app to pay easily for their fares without needing to fumble for cash or their payment card at the end of their journey.

• In multiple cities across Asia Pacific in 2016, MasterCard works with business associations and governments to hold the Master Your Card merchant education workshops, which aim to help merchants better understand how to leverage electronic payments to grow their businesses. These workshops have been held across cities in India, Indonesia and Vietnam.

• In Australia, MasterCard launched the Qkr mobile phone ordering and payment app after a successful pilot. The app enables parents of schoolchildren to make various school related payments from their phone at a time and place that is convenient to them, whilst streamlining the receipting and reconciliation of funds by school staff.

• In Indonesia, MasterCard is helping to simplify the financial accounts for government employees, such as the Navy and police, by combining their ID, payroll and payment onto a single card.

• In the Colombian city of Barranquilla, MasterCard helped to streamline the city’s payments processes. As a consequence, the use of electronic payments by the local government grew from 0 to 76 percent, creating significant efficiencies.

• In London, MasterCard worked with Transport for London (TfL) to transform its fare collection system to accept contactless bank cards. In just over a year, the cost of collecting fares has dropped from about 14 percent of revenues to just below 9 percent, while access to trains and buses has been simplified for residents and visitors.

• In Canada, MasterCard is working with local businesses in Toronto and other cities to provide insights to help them understand business performance, customer behaviour and competitive standing.

• In Egypt, MasterCard is helping the government roll out a programme that links citizens’ national identification to the existing country-wide mobile money platform, allowing 54 million Egyptians to participate in the formal electronic economy through a single, easy-to-use cashless solution.

The 100RC Platform of Partners is a group of private, public, non-profit, academic and government organisations that provide free tools, services, and expertise to 100RC members. In total, 100RC Platform Partner services value greater than $200m. The 100RC partnership will allow MasterCard to expand the reach and impact of their existing expertise to more cities, and further the mission and vision of 100RC to help cities around the world become more resilient to the physical, social, and economic challenges that are a growing part of the 21st century world.

ENDS

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