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MasterCard Keeps Investing in Rewards, This Time With Linkable Networks

September 14, 2012
Credit|Debit|Prepaid|Emerging_Technologies
MasterCard new alliance with Linkable Networks is helping it drive towards creating a comprehensive rewards and loyalty offering that will provide issuers with analytics and unique range of offer capabilities, including the ability to support SKU-level programs.

MasterCard's latest rewards partnership fits nicely with its recent acquisition of Truaxis, which PaymentsJournal analyzed here.

Attempting to mirror consumers' use of product-specific coupons, Linkable's rewards strategy should attract debit issuers that want consumers to use their card for everyday purchases where coupons like this play a larger role.

After registering and downloading offers, the offers will then be linked to cardholders' MasterCard accounts, and they can redeem it by paying with their card. Customers will be able to download offers with their mobile phone as well, by scanning a QR code or entering the coupon number manually.
Ultimately, MasterCard's strategy is more likely to benefit the emerging mobile wallet form taking shape, which appears to be heading towards an entry point converging at the coupon/offer management level rather than the payment itself.

Click here to read more from Bank Systems and Technology. To read more about Linkable Networks, click here to read an Industry Perspective from CEO Tom Burgess.

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