MasterCard International said it will pilot a program that gives cardholders traveling outside of their home country toll-free access to emergency services.
The New York-based association said Global Gateway is a "first of its kind" service and a core element of a new global customer services strategy.
"As far as we can gauge, none of the general-purpose card companies offer a central customer service number," said Bonnie J. MacDonald, vice president of global services for MasterCard. "It's not easy to get customer service in remote locations or to remember [an issuer's] number."
The pilot will begin in select countries in May, with a worldwide rollout planned for 1996.
Global Gateway will be available to MasterCard standard and gold cardholders 24 hours a day in their native language.
Cardholders will have access to core emergency and special services from more than 120 countries. They can report a lost or stolen card, ask for a replacement, request an emergency cash advance, locate an automated teller machine, or seek issuer directory assistance.
The MasterCard toll-free numbers will be available through directory assistance and listings in each country, and also through issuers. Cardholders will not be required to visit designated locations for assistance.
"The convenient access offered by the Global Gateway provides a sense of security for cardholders who travel and may not be able to easily reach their MasterCard issuer directly," Ms. MacDonald said. "The best delivery in the world is not helpful if cardholders can't get to it."
Financial institutions participating in the pilot include: Argencard SA, Argentina; Bank of Montreal, Canada; Chemical Bank and Household Bank in the United States; MBf Card Services, Malaysia; Samsung Winners Card Co., Republic of Korea; and Standard Bank of South Africa and Westpac Banking Corp., Australia.
"We've been working on this for a year and a half," Ms. MacDonald said, adding that MasterCard will hone the system based on what it learns from the pilot.
MasterCard says members will benefit from the Global Gateway program by saving money on telecommunications, augmenting their existing customer service infrastructure, and supporting cardholder usage, acquisition, and retention objectives.
