Mastercard Welcomes OpenRice to Priceless Planet Coalition

Every consumer transaction made with a Mastercard card on OpenRice Pay will equate to one tree donation

Mastercard today announced that OpenRice, the locally developed, all-inclusive online food and restaurant guide, will join the Priceless Planet Coalition, making it the first partner from Hong Kong’s dining sector to join the Coalition working towards the restoration of 100 million trees worldwide by 2025. The announcement marks the expansion of Mastercard and OpenRice’s partnership over the years, which began with allowing cardholders to bind their cards with OpenRice Pay for in-app digital payments. Under the Coalition, both parties have joined forces to work on environmental and sustainability initiatives.

In Mastercard commissioned research1 on sustainability in 2021, 85 percent of consumers said they are willing to take personal action to combat environmental and sustainability challenges. Furthermore, 62 percent stated that it’s now more important than ever for companies to act in a more sustainable and eco-friendly way. To help encourage environmentally conscious consumer behavior, Mastercard is engaging partners such as OpenRice to drive collective climate action, opening doors for customers to support related efforts through the Coalition’s global tree restoration projects.

Starting this month, Mastercard cardholders with cards linked to OpenRice Pay will be contributing to the Coalition’s reforestation goals, as one tree will be donated with each transaction via OpenRice Pay. This initiative follows on from various paperless and digitalization efforts by OpenRice, such as its acceptance of e-cash vouchers and electronic payments, virtual credit cards and other mobile wallets. OpenRice users can also enjoy a secure and convenient digital payment experience by simply scanning their QR code with their OpenRice app to complete their transactions.

Other environmental efforts initiated by OpenRice include the development of platform capabilities such as the scan-to-order function and takeaway service during the pandemic, which allows consumers to order food and pick it up themselves to reduce last-mile transportation as well as carbon footprint, encouraging merchants to use its eMenu, and the ability to opt-out cutlery when ordering in favor of using reusable ones. Consumers can also apply for reusable bags on takeaway services along with other options such as choosing “food-wise eateries”, “green restaurant” and sharkfin-free restaurants.

OpenRice’s environmental efforts align with Mastercard’s sustainability efforts, which include action such as working with financial institutions globally to develop cards made from eco-friendly materials, such as recycled ocean plastic and bioplastic made from Thai sugar and Nebraska corn, with the aim of reducing the need for first-use PVC plastics.

Joe Yau, Chief Technology Officer & Chief Executive Officer, OpenRice Group, said, “OpenRice has been on a journey to digitalization, continuously evolving as an all-inclusive online food and restaurant guide. Following the launch of OpenRice Pay, the business nature of OpenRice has become broader and it is important for the company to bear more social responsibility, which led us to expand our collaboration with Mastercard, reinforcing our dedication to sustainable development and giving back to the community via the Priceless Planet Coalition.”

Helena Chen, Managing Director, Hong Kong and Macau, Mastercard, said, “Through the partnership with OpenRice, Mastercard not only emphasizes its focus on environmental action, but also underlines its commitment to supporting local businesses. Mastercard is pleased to welcome OpenRice to the Priceless Planet Coalition, working together to attain the Coalition’s reforestation goals, in addressing climate change and in ensuring sustainable development. Underpinning this is Mastercard’s ongoing commitment to  support its partners on their digitalization journey, whilst expanding the benefits of their sustainability initiatives to consumers all around the world.”

Mastercard launched the Priceless Planet Coalition in January 2020 to unite companies, communities and consumers in collective, coordinated climate action. Guided by its restoration partners, Conservation International and World Resources Institute, the Coalition employs science-based best practices to identify new project sites, select the appropriate tree species and ensure long-term forest health through ongoing monitoring, while also providing economic opportunities for local communities.

Photo caption:

	Helena Chen, Managing Director, Hong Kong and Macau, Mastercard, and Joe Yau, Chief Technology Officer & Chief Executive Officer, OpenRice Group, announce to expand their partnership through the Mastercard’s Priceless Planet Coalition, working towards the restoration of 100 million trees worldwide by 2025.
	Joe Yau, Chief Technology Officer & Chief Executive Officer, OpenRice Group
	Helena Chen, Managing Director, Hong Kong and Macau, Mastercard

1 Source: Mastercard’s global research “How the COVID-19 Pandemic has Impacted Consumer Attitudes About the Environment”

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