Through a partnership with go2.com, MasterCard Worldwide is now offering MasterCard Nearby, an information delivery service that allows cardholders to use their mobile phones to access information like ATM and merchant locations, driving directions, rewards and special offers.
All MasterCard cardholders in the United States are now eligible to sign up for MasterCard Nearby at www.mcnearby.com . The service allows for heightened convenience to busy MasterCard cardholders.
“The short-term strategic objective that this addresses is the continued expansion of the location-enabled Mobile Content Network through this partnership with MasterCard,” said Lee Hancock, CEO and founder of go2. “The longer-term strategy is to align go2 with a marquee brand and pervasive service like MasterCard, with millions of merchants and users, as we continue our efforts to connect consumers with merchants via their phones.”
MasterCard Nearby users will be able to access the information they deem vital. That information can then be viewed on the mobile Internet or delivered to their mobile phones via an SMS text message.
Once consumers log into the mobile Web site at wap.mcnearby.com for the first time, they are permanently logged into the service.
MasterCard Nearby is only one of the ways MasterCard is leveraging the mobile phone to deliver value to cardholders. Another MasterCard-driven mobile initiative is point-of-sale payments by phone.
“The first challenge this relationship addresses is the need for consumer awareness of the mobile Web,” Mr. Hancock said. “The second is the ongoing need for more accurate and compelling local information.
“Getting information on-the-go on mobile phones is very valuable to mobile phone users, and MasterCard can promote this service to generate awareness with consumers,” he said. “In addition, the special MasterCard merchant offers for premium users provide more compelling and valuable information to mobile phone users.”
