Mastercard (NYSE: MA) announced it is bringing added value to U.S. small business cardholders with new and expanded benefits, with “a focus on convenience, efficiency and cyber security, to directly address some of their most pressing wants and needs.”
As reported by the SBA, small businesses created 5.5 million jobs in the U.S. “between Q3 of 2020 and Q2 of 2021, a 60 percent recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic decline.” As small businesses continue to grow – both in number and in scale – it’s important that they are equipped “with digital tools and resources that help them, and the community they serve, thrive.”
To do this, Mastercard has partnered with Adobe, McAfee, Stride and Uber “to bring U.S. small business benefits that provide efficiency and creativity to daily operations as well as fortify businesses’ online and security infrastructure.”
Ginger Siegel, North America small business lead at Mastercard, said:
“American small businesses have proved their resiliency in recent years, but still face pressures to optimize their operations. As a part of our commitment to support the small business community, we’re excited to partner with other leading technology companies to give our small business cardholders access to myriad resources they need to thrive and meaningful cost savings on crucial purchases.”
Now available across Mastercard BusinessCard® and World Elite Mastercard for Business®, small business cardholders “can access new and extended benefits to help address key needs and generate significant savings,” including:
- Adobe: Access to more than 20 Adobe Creative Cloud applications like Acrobat Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator and Adobe Express that unlock the powers of collaboration and imagination to build your brand and grow your business. Mastercard BusinessCard® cardholders will automatically receive 2 complementary months when they purchase any new prepaid annual Creative Cloud for individual subscriptions; World Elite Mastercard for Business® cardholders will automatically enjoy 4 complimentary months on any new prepaid annual Creative Cloud for individual subscriptions. This exclusive Mastercard small business benefit will be applied automatically at checkout on any eligible product purchase made with an eligible Mastercard small business credit or debit card.
- McAfee: 30-day free trial, a first year 75% discounted subscription to McAfee’s Total Protection for Mastercard 10-Devices plan and a complimentary 1-year subscription to McAfee’s TechMate software with paid purchase. These advanced features will provide small businesses with award-winning antivirus protection, secure VPN, web protection, content controls, and more.
- Priority Pass: Access to the Priority Pass airport lounge network unlocking more than 1,300 VIP lounges in more than 140 countries worldwide.
ShopRunner: Free ShopRunner membership, valued at $79 per year, which provides free 2-day shipping and free returns at dozens of top stores.
Stride: Cardholders can access an issuer cobranded Stride benefits platform and use it to unlock simplified access to critical individual insurance benefits for small business owners and their employees. - Uber Freight: Cardholders who are new Uber Freight customers will receive discounts on shipping services, including a $500 discount on their first shipment, as well as a $500 credit on future shipments when they spend at least $5,000 with Uber Freight in the first 90 days following their first purchase.
- Uber for Business: Cardholders who sign up for a new Uber for Business account will receive a $50 voucher if they spend $100 in the first 30 days of account creation, and will receive an additional $50 voucher if they spend $200 in the first 90 days of account creation.
All small business credit cardholders will “continue to have access to Mastercard ID Theft Protection™ to monitor their personal information and credentials.”
Additionally, cardholders can “access a team of identity theft resolution specialists, available 24/7 year-round to help resolve cardholders’ identity theft incidents.”
New and expanded benefits is the latest way Mastercard is “committing to support small businesses, following the company’s recent launch of Strive USA, a new initiative designed to align partners and strengthen an ecosystem of organizations that address three major challenges small businesses commonly confront: getting capital, going digital and gaining skills and know-how.”
Over the next five years, Strive USA aims “to provide support to five million small businesses in the U.S., with a focus on underserved business owners.”
People’s increased tendency “to live a more digital lifestyle has also inspired Mastercard’s latest introductions of new and refreshed consumer cardholder benefits.”
Mastercard cardholders will “receive benefits from Mastercard’s new partnership with McAfee and Priority Pass, and continued partnerships with ShopRunner and others, to help deliver the highest value from their everyday spend and protection as they shop and spend digitally.”