Mastercard, CleverCards and Appreciate Group plc partner to offer first gift card directly to your mobile wallet
London, 16 December 2019: Mastercard has partnered with CleverCards and Appreciate Group to launch Europe’s first ever fully digital gift card.
The gift card is available now as a last minute Christmas present, as shoppers are able to send their gift card immediately by email, text or message app. Recipients can then simply add the fully digital Mastercard to their mobile wallet to instantly “tap-n-pay” in-store, or buy online.
The Select Digital Gift Card is the first fully digital, mobile-enabled gift card in the UK and is now available to purchase through www.highstreetvouchers.com, and can be used either online or in-store at more than 6,400 outlets of 61 of the most popular retail brands in the UK including John Lewis, Topshop, TK Maxx, Waterstones, Debenhams, Ernest Jones and Argos, as well as restaurant Pizza Express.
Revolutionising a prepaid gifting industry that was previously weighed down by postage fees and high physical production and distribution costs, the gift card functions as a secure prepaid Mastercard once activated by the recipient.
By enabling the recipient to check their balances at any time, the gift card also removes the age-old problem of people forgetting which gift cards they’ve used or what balance they have remaining.
Scott Abrahams Senior Vice President, Business Development at Mastercard commented “We want to offer consumers the option to pay how they want, when they want. We are delighted to have partnered with Clevercards and Appreciate Group to help revolutionise the gift card industry by making it as simple as paying by any other payments method. “
Kealan Lennon, founder and CEO of CleverCards, comments: “We have effectively created a digital £50 note – one that can be instantly sent and spent between any parties electronically, across borders. The CleverCards-distributed digital Mastercard can be used by anyone, anywhere, anytime.
“This is money reimagined for the new generation of consumers and providers, including safety, security and regulatory compliance.”
“We’re proud to be the first company in the UK to bring this type of technology to market,” says Appreciate Group’s CEO Ian O’Doherty.
“It’s a real game-changer in many ways as it completely reimagines how gift cards should work in a mobile-enabled world.”
Leading gifting and engagement company Appreciate Group plc, partnered with CleverCards to be the first company in the UK to launch on the CleverCards platform.
This is the first major use of the CleverCards platform, and plans are in place to expand their adaptable platform across further payment instrument use cases including debit cards, expense cards, corporate or customer rewards and more.
– Ends –
[caption id="attachment_32094" align="alignnone" width="90"]
Select gift card in mobile phone[/caption]
Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. Our global payments processing network connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. Mastercard 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 Beyond the Transaction Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.
About CleverCards
CleverCards, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a fast moving start-up focused on simplifying instant payment experiences for everyone, whether it be gift cards, employee or customer incentives, expenses, travel foreign exchange, or any other way Mastercard cards can be used for payouts. CleverCards does this by delivering a technology platform-as-a-service that enables world leading businesses to rapidly deploy payment applications focused on improving instant customer payment experiences.
About Appreciate Group
Appreciate Group plc is a leading gifting and engagement company and experts at creating joyful experiences and connecting people to the things in life they enjoy the most.
Everything the company does is focused on creating more joy in the world, and it is trusted to help customers create moments they can treasure and remember whether they are giving, receiving or experiencing something special.
London, 16 December 2019: Mastercard has partnered with CleverCards and Appreciate Group to launch Europe’s first ever fully digital gift card.
The gift card is available now as a last minute Christmas present, as shoppers are able to send their gift card immediately by email, text or message app. Recipients can then simply add the fully digital Mastercard to their mobile wallet to instantly “tap-n-pay” in-store, or buy online.
The Select Digital Gift Card is the first fully digital, mobile-enabled gift card in the UK and is now available to purchase through www.highstreetvouchers.com, and can be used either online or in-store at more than 6,400 outlets of 61 of the most popular retail brands in the UK including John Lewis, Topshop, TK Maxx, Waterstones, Debenhams, Ernest Jones and Argos, as well as restaurant Pizza Express.
Revolutionising a prepaid gifting industry that was previously weighed down by postage fees and high physical production and distribution costs, the gift card functions as a secure prepaid Mastercard once activated by the recipient.
By enabling the recipient to check their balances at any time, the gift card also removes the age-old problem of people forgetting which gift cards they’ve used or what balance they have remaining.
Scott Abrahams Senior Vice President, Business Development at Mastercard commented “We want to offer consumers the option to pay how they want, when they want. We are delighted to have partnered with Clevercards and Appreciate Group to help revolutionise the gift card industry by making it as simple as paying by any other payments method. “
Kealan Lennon, founder and CEO of CleverCards, comments: “We have effectively created a digital £50 note – one that can be instantly sent and spent between any parties electronically, across borders. The CleverCards-distributed digital Mastercard can be used by anyone, anywhere, anytime.
“This is money reimagined for the new generation of consumers and providers, including safety, security and regulatory compliance.”
“We’re proud to be the first company in the UK to bring this type of technology to market,” says Appreciate Group’s CEO Ian O’Doherty.
“It’s a real game-changer in many ways as it completely reimagines how gift cards should work in a mobile-enabled world.”
Leading gifting and engagement company Appreciate Group plc, partnered with CleverCards to be the first company in the UK to launch on the CleverCards platform.
This is the first major use of the CleverCards platform, and plans are in place to expand their adaptable platform across further payment instrument use cases including debit cards, expense cards, corporate or customer rewards and more.
– Ends –
[caption id="attachment_32094" align="alignnone" width="90"]
Select gift card in mobile phone[/caption]Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. Our global payments processing network connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. Mastercard 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 Beyond the Transaction Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.
About CleverCards
CleverCards, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a fast moving start-up focused on simplifying instant payment experiences for everyone, whether it be gift cards, employee or customer incentives, expenses, travel foreign exchange, or any other way Mastercard cards can be used for payouts. CleverCards does this by delivering a technology platform-as-a-service that enables world leading businesses to rapidly deploy payment applications focused on improving instant customer payment experiences.
About Appreciate Group
Appreciate Group plc is a leading gifting and engagement company and experts at creating joyful experiences and connecting people to the things in life they enjoy the most.
Everything the company does is focused on creating more joy in the world, and it is trusted to help customers create moments they can treasure and remember whether they are giving, receiving or experiencing something special.
