From a family recipe to a family-run business to franchise potential, the Kulacheks have risen to the challenge.

With nearly one in four small businesses in Europe at risk of closure due to cyber fraud, Mastercard's latest findings show the urgent need for stronger security measures to protect entrepreneurs.

The rise of digital tools, such as dining and rideshare apps and mobile wallets, has made it easier than ever for travelers to commune with the city’s ancient culinary spirit.

Jakob Skov also mentored young programmers to develop the app for a Copenhagen nonprofit using surplus food from restaurants and grocers to feed people living on the streets.

From simplifying transactions of all kinds — retail, commercial, cross-border, blockchain — to making digital interactions more secure, technology and innovative partnerships are continuing to transform how we transact.

As 2025 approaches, we start thinking about experiences we want to have in the new year. Whether it's catching a much-anticipated concert, unwinding at a wellness retreat, traveling abroad, or diving into outdoor adventures, our research shows that consumers are prioritizing making memories through experiences more than ever.

The debut at the Las Vegas Grand Pix will kick off a fleet of fan-focused experiences, further fueling passion for the fast-growing sport.

U.K.-based Reewild offers an AI-powered app with smart grocery shopping features, carbon tracking, and an eco-rewards system.

Aarhus is piloting a first-of-its-kind deposit return program for reusable drink cups, where people get their deposit returned with a tap: “Our working vision is a city without waste bins.”

With the sharp increase in online transactions during the holidays, the festive season can often be prime time for cyberattacks, especially in small and medium-sized businesses.

Here’s how Mastercard is looking to help businesses confirm their customers’ attributes online, strengthening trust in the digital economy.

Audrey Bui Khac explores the significant opportunity for banks and financial institutions to maintain and even grow their SME market share by offering benefits that provide both financial and strategic value for small business cardholders and that recognise their unique needs.

By streamlining B2B supplier enablement and onboarding, we can enhance workflow efficiencies and enable suppliers and buyers to harness the advantages of card payments.

As the summer winds down and the back-to-school season begins, it’s essential to stay vigilant against scams. Here are Mastercard’s top 10 tips to keep your info safe and secure during this hectic time.

Mastercard worked with self-custody wallet leaders to make it easier for users to transact with their digital assets seamlessly and securely. Here's how.

Policymakers are embracing the power of data-backed decision-making, which supports more informed policies and fosters more transparency and trust in communities.

The shift from paper to digital receipts in Europe marks a positive step towards a more sustainable future.

The Mastercard Economics Institute explores how summer temperatures impact how people spend and what they're spending their money on.

Tap to ride is just the start of our journey toward more simple and accessible ways to move around cities.

Here are eight ways to inspire, inform and enable more sustainable consumption choices.

Our white paper dives in to how governments can drive inclusive and impactful disbursements and establish an efficient and effective infrastructure to unlock growth in a digital age.

Our latest white paper on SMEs and sustainability explores the challenges that SMEs across Europe face when it comes to engaging in sustainable business practices, and identifies the solutions that Mastercard and financial institutions can offer together to support their evolving needs.

As a part of our commitment to making digital commerce safer and more accessible for everyone, we’re announcing our goal of achieving 100% tokenization in Europe by 2030.

Three European cities are hotspots this summer, according to data analyzed by the Mastercard Economics Institute in its annual travel report.

The varied nature of consumer credit markets across Europe means there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution for the future of pay solutions. Instead, customers have the opportunity to revamp their credit value proposition in a variety of ways.

For these mothers who fled Ukraine, a support program offering childcare helped them nurture their business at the same time.

International Women’s Day is a time to reflect, renew and refocus our efforts towards the pursuit of inclusion and equality within the workplace and beyond. Because when we design a better world for women, it creates limitless possibilities for everyone.   

Consumers have shown a consistent demand for experiences since the pandemic, particularly in the travel sector, and skiing has benefitted from that continuing trend.

Mastercard has launched a biometric-based authentication service to make digital interactions as simple as they are secure.

As workforce demographics change, Lyndsey Simpson of the U.K. startup 55/Redefined, part of the Mastercard Start Path Emerging Fintech program, is at the forefront of ensuring age diversity in employment.

Professional upskilling should never stop, experts say. Reskilling older workers is critical — they’ll be a large percentage of the future workforce.

The start of the 2020s brought unprecedented fluctuations in the global economy, but next year marks a new chapter.

"In a world where technology is part of our everyday lives, the way we make payments is no exception," says Valerie Nowak, EVP, Product & Innovation, Europe. "The evolution of conventional wallets into digital companions is revolutionizing the way we make payments..."

Partner duo Jesús and Pancho, fuelled by a passion for plants, founded their botanical design and plant collectors studio in 2017.

The new Mastercard Strive EU program will extend opportunities for small businesses as we look to support and build local partnerships that benefit local communities and the wider European economy. 

AppyWay’s digital maps show where people can park (or not), cutting congestion and chipping away at decarbonization.

Simmer Eats was formed by university student Simmy Dhillon in his small accommodation kitchen. Now his entire family plays a role in keeping the business running.

"Together, we must build a connected world that offers everyone equal opportunities to leverage technology to improve their lives," says Mark Barnett, President, Mastercard Europe.

Husband and wife Joel and Mayumi Francois took a risk during the pandemic, packing up shop with their restaurant and hitting the road to take their food directly to customers.

This week marks the European Commission’s annual SME Week, a chance to celebrate the enormous contribution these businesses make, but also an opportunity to problem solve and ensure they are supported in their evolution.

Imperiales Alonso has been in business for four generations. Now, they are finding new ways to engage with 21st century customers.

From conversions to choruses and from moments to melodies, each Player of the Match trophy resounds with original music, game highlights and fan audio.

A new tool can spot payments to scammers before victims lose their money. But breaking the psychological spell, one expert says, is another story.

There’s significant work to do to achieve greater inclusion in gaming and esports. That’s why we’re announcing the first-ever Mastercard Gamer Academy.

Anonymized spending trends and other data helps refugees pinpoint smaller communities where they could thrive after the upheaval of war.

"We’re working hard to keep giving our customers the most valuable gift: their own time," says Nico Kersten, CEO of Mercedes pay in an interview with the Mastercard Newsroom.

Nina Elegba knows all about stress. It’s why she started her business in the first place. But when facing the challenges of growing her business, she looked for support to put her on the path to mindfulness — and success.

At Mastercard we support financial entities by enabling secure payments and data transfers worldwide. Our digital operational resilience comes via a combination of strong customer authentication, risk quantification, breach & attack simulation, online exposure monitoring, and systemic risk assessment.

The journey toward frictionless urban mobility has begun, paving the way for greater payments acceptance.

Uli Kiendl, the CEO of Ryd, on the challenges of building its payments platform and how he sees in-car payments expanding to electric vehicle charging and more.

Despite the acceleration of all things digital, 25 billion plastic payment cards remain in circulation, the vast majority eventually headed for the landfill. A new recycling program initially launched with HSBC may change that.

George Simon, executive vice president for Market Development in Europe, dives into the rapidly evolving landscape of EV charging infrastructure across the continent while highlighting the importance of user experience and accessibility.

“Connecting with fans is essential as an artist, and I always want to learn new and innovative ways to communicate with them,” says Young Athena.

Mastercard's Bart Willaert shares how businesses from every industry can now offer frictionless digital onboarding experiences with a new open banking account owner verification tool.

Consumer priorities are shifting, and Gen Z and millennials are leading the shift to purpose-driven and local brands. Jim Colvine, SVP, Priceless Planet discusses how banks and fintechs are well placed to help more sustainable consumption.

A digital marketplace is turning honey into virtual money to support local beekeepers and boost rural tourism in Bulgaria.

Start Path Ukraine is about more than just supporting Ukraine's start-up scene – it's about empowering its people to rebuild their lives and their country. The five inaugural fintechs represent the vanguard of that effort, and we're proud to welcome them into the Mastercard family.

"Through public-private partnerships with governments across Europe and beyond, we can harness the power of digitisation and data to provide better outcomes for people, and to build the digital economy of tomorrow," says Mark Barnett, president, Mastercard Europe.

Jeanette Liendo, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications, on how we can continue to understand the ongoing needs and challenges individuals face to enable positive everyday changes and create limitless possibilities for everyone.

In the darkest of times, ordinary people have become everyday heroes, and government and businesses have formed powerful partnerships to mobilize resources to keep the economy going.

“Representation is extremely important,” says Belgium's Eefje ‘Sjokz’ Depoortere. “If you’re never going to see anyone like you on the big stage, why would you ever dream you could be able to?”

Peter Bakenecker, Mastercard's president for Central Europe, joined the panel at this year’s DLD Conference to discuss cornerstones for a successful Europe.

Mastercard’s general manager for Ukraine and Moldova shares insights on a year of great turbulence and even greater resilience.

The U.K. startup Currensea is using open banking to power debit cards for fee-conscious travelers — and beyond.

The co-founder of U.K.-based Nexo says the crypto-backed card will transform the way people use digital currencies in their day-to-day lives.

Earthshot CEO Hannah Jones explains why corporate partnerships are central to realizing its ambitions and what it means to be an 'urgent optimist.'

Mastercard Europe President Mark Barnett on two key moments for the company's small business support efforts across Europe: the one-year anniversary of Strive UK and the launch of its sister initiative Strive Czech Republic.

It all started with a commercial about a baseball game, and the memorable moments it sparked. Today, Priceless celebrates 25 years, as resonant and relevant as ever.

These alumni of Mastercard's Start Path startup engagement program, including U.K.'s Thought Machine, shares the secret sauce behind their billion-dollar businesses.

Buchanan, a viola major who is now CEO of the Swedish fintech, also shares the advice she’d give her 12-year-old self.

By harnessing the power of payroll as an asset, the U.K. startup Hi helps companies boost their liquidity and gives their employees more flexible access to their earned wages.

At the core of our response lies the ability to mobilise the breadth of our assets, networks, and business pillars to build partnerships, initiatives and solutions that form a varied relief strategy.

Ellen Jackowski, Mastercard's new chief sustainabilty officer, on driving social and environmental — and how ice cream put her on that path.

Six Ukrainian fashion designers shared a fashion showcase — and their stories of creativity amid chaos.

On the podcast 'What's Next In,' Raj Dhamodharan, Mastercard's head of crypto and blockchain, says the company remains focused on enabling choice.

It’s been a volatile few years for small and medium-sized enterprises, those intrepid companies that form the backbone of Europe’s economies.

Go inside a recent threatcasting exercise in Dublin, where cybersecurity experts work through worst-case scenarios to help organisations learn how to disrupt them before they happen.

Europe led the way in recognizing the opportunity of the night economy. A new global network wants to bring that promise to other cities around the world.

Sibley, a marketing executive, saw the need to protect her mother’s everyday money and preserve her independence. So, she created Sibstar

To mark the UN’s Micro-, Small- and Medium- Sized Enterprises Day, Mastercard survey of UK small businesses reveals inflation and rising energy prices are the current biggest challenges

The levelling up agenda has never been more important than it is today

Many transgender people feel anxiety, embarrassment and frustration when showing an ID that doesn’t reflect their identity, research shows

The company’s first-ever music album is a natural extension, building awareness of the melody and its association with Mastercard

The impact of Covid-19 on this transformation has been well-documented, yet our data shows that it is here to stay

Embedded finance powers our digital lives and could transform how businesses interact with each other, including streamlining and automating payments and services across the supply chain for greater resilience.

By Mark Barnett, President, Mastercard Europe and Dimitrios Dosis, President, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa at Mastercard

We need to rethink how bills are paid and customer communications are managed.

Digitization and data insights can help small businesses and tourism agencies make the most of the momentum, says Mastercard Europe President Mark Barnett.

For Europe, these are positive steps towards its ambition for the year: to consolidate itself as a global technology leader.

Dodo is a U.K.-based startup that uses open banking to help small businesses easily measure their carbon footprint and reach net-zero goals.

Germany’s bitsCrunch and Denmark’s SPENN are joining Mastercard’s Start Path Crypto program to accelerate their growth.

Kathy Caton started making gin a decade ago as a side hustle. Now Brighton Gin is her main gig.

At Mastercard, we are proud to be able to back up our commitments with both action and results, from setting science-based targets to focus our efforts against climate change to committing to reach net zero emissions.

Charity starts at home: It's an ethos that we share and practise here at Mastercard as we aim to transform lives and inspire those around us by driving sustainable change on a local level.

Mastercard Economics Institute’s “Economy 2022” is a global outlook based on critical trends as seen through the lens of the consumer. It assesses how five fundamental factors — savings and spending, supply chains, digital acceleration, global travel, and a growing list of economic risks — will continue to shape the global economy.

Momentum is building for payment cards made from more sustainable materials, including recycled ocean plastic and bioplastic.

A Paris-based perfumer channeled her memories and a brand’s ‘priceless’ values for a set of signature fragrances.

Though a license with the Israeli government, Mastercard has opened a new innovation lab to help fintechs to strengthen the cyber ecosystem.

Starting July 1, 2023, banks and other card issuers will begin replacing expired or lost Maestro cards - for instance with a Debit Mastercard

With roots in Europe and the UK, open banking is now a global phenomenon taking form in different ways but with the same goal — more innovative financial services.

Data is the fuel for more climate-conscious digital products and can provide insights into supply chain sustainability, says Malin Berge, who is helping build Mastercard's new Sustainability Lab in Sweden.

A children's bookstore owner in Palma, Spain, found a magic formula in navigating the last year: embracing digital commerce but doubing down on the human touch.

As world economies start to emerge from the pandemic, data protection, nationalist trade tensions and climate change threaten progress, Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach says at the Wirtschaftstag (Business Day) 2021 conference in Berlin.

As the pandemic continues in one of the world's tourist hot spots, how are restaurants, hotels and museums preparing for the future?

COVID-19 has accelerated digital transformation, and the rich data insights it enables can accelerate the recovery and creation of an inclusive global tourism economy. A trip to Tbilisi shows how.

A light installation by the poet and mental health campaigner Hussain Manawer in two U.K. cities aims to start a conversation about bringing more people into the digital economy.

The Priceless Planet Coalition is restoring 100 million trees over the next five years to combat climate change and reduce carbon in the atmosphere through forest restoration.

The founders of Doconomy, whose DO Mastercard lets consumers calculate their carbon emissions and compensate for them, believe transparency and responsibility go hand in hand.

From cryptology to big data to digital convergence and more, young women gain needed skills and confidence for critical careers through G4T.

Data centers can have a huge carbon footprint. When P27 Nordic Payment Group and Mastercard launches the world's first real-time, cross-border bank payment system in 2021, it will use zero-emission data processing centers.

In Sweden, where older adults are being left out of the cashless revolution, Mastercard employees are helping them embrace digital payments and online commerce.