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Auckland, 29 November 2010 – Fans attending Rugby World Cup 2011 will never miss a moment of action with MasterCard offering a faster way to pay in stadium.

PayPass is MasterCard’s new contactless payments method. It’s like having exact change wherever you go. A simple tap of your card against a reader is all that is required to pay at stadium concessions for purchases under $80.

The technology features an embedded chip and antenna in MasterCard credit, debit and pre-paid cards and making contactless transactions means the card never leaves the cardholder’s hand – there is no need to insert, swipe, sign or enter your PIN – cardholders can just “Tap & Go”.

MasterCard PayPass terminals will be available for Rugby World Cup 2011 fans at Eden Park in Auckland, Westpac Stadium in Wellington and AMI Stadium in Christchurch.

Eden Park’s Chief Executive Officer, David Kennedy said, “We are pleased to be partnering with MasterCard to offer this service. We’re as determined as MasterCard is to offer a more convenient, world class Rugby World Cup experience.

“With MasterCard PayPass, rugby fans at next year’s World Cup will not only have a choice about how they want to pay but also a more convenient and secure payment service,” he said.

With over 83 million cards and devices issued globally, PayPass will deliver a better stadium experience for both local and international rugby fans visiting New Zealand.

MasterCard’s New Zealand Country Manager Albert Naffah said because PayPass speeds up transactions at the point of purchase, cardholders spend less time in line and more time watching the game.

“MasterCard is absolutely committed to making Rugby World Cup 2011 a world class and priceless event,” he said.

“PayPass means a better stadium experience for fans by making small value transactions quicker and easier. Cardholders will have a fast, hassle-free, secure payment option that will get them from the concession stand to their seats faster,” said Mr Naffah.

MasterCard PayPass isn’t just limited to stadiums. Cardholders and merchants alike will also experience the benefit from queuing less, carrying exact change and the convenience of a cashless transaction.

“MasterCard continues to lead the way in developing and implementing innovative payments technology,” said Mr Naffah.

“We are determined to leave behind a sustainable world-class payments legacy that will redefine the payments landscape here in New Zealand while providing consumers and merchants with convenience, efficiency and payments security,” he said.

About MasterCard Worldwide

As a leading global payments company, MasterCard Worldwide prides itself on being at the heart of commerce, helping to make life easier and more efficient for everyone, everywhere. MasterCard serves as a franchisor, processor and advisor to the payments industry, and makes commerce happen by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, governments, businesses, merchants, and cardholders worldwide. In 2009, $2.5 trillion in gross dollar volume was generated on its products by consumers around the world. Powered by the MasterCard Worldwide Network – the fastest payment processing network in the world – MasterCard processes over 22 billion transactions each year, has the capacity to handle 140 million transactions per hour, with an average network response time of 140 milliseconds and with 99.99 percent reliability. MasterCard advances global commerce through its family of brands, including MasterCard^®, Maestro^®, and Cirrus^®; its suite of core products such as credit, debit, and prepaid; and its innovative platforms and functionalities, such as MasterCard PayPass™ and MasterCard inControl™. MasterCard serves consumers, governments, and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information, please visit us at www.mastercard.com. Follow us on Twitter: @mastercardnews.

MasterCard & Rugby World Cup 2011

MasterCard Worldwide is a Worldwide Partner and the official payment system of Rugby World Cup 2011. The company leverages the platform to further deliver shareholder value by creating exclusive business-building opportunities for its customer financial institutions, while building MasterCard brand affinity by offering priceless experiences to MasterCard cardholders. As part of its agreement, MasterCard secures a comprehensive rights and benefits package that allows the company to deliver value to customer financial institutions, merchants and cardholders, including the ability to access “Priceless” experiences linked to Rugby World Cup 2011.

Rugby World Cup is the crown jewel of the sport and a prominent global property – with television coverage of Rugby World Cup 2007 spanning more than 200 territories, reaching a cumulative audience of 4 billion viewers. Rugby World Cup 2011 is being held in New Zealand for the first time since the inaugural event in 1987. Teams representing 20 nations will compete in 48 matches across 13 Host Cities between 9 September and 23 October 2011.

Beyond its expertise in world-class sponsorship marketing, MasterCard also has a rich heritage of supporting the sport of Rugby in the host country. Over the past six years MasterCard has been a sponsor of the New Zealand All Blacks team.