Card Briefs: Wal-Mart, MasterCard In Red Cross Promo

NEW YORK - MasterCard International and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. have teamed up on a promotion to help support the efforts of the American Red Cross.

Anytime a customer makes a purchase using any automated teller machine card in any of 13 Wal-Mart stores in the greater Houston area, Maestro will make a 50-cent donation to the relief organization.

Entitled "Thanks for Helping," the program will run through the month of July, and will be supported by employee education efforts and consumer promotions. The promos will contain two messages: First, that the Red Cross campaign exists, and second, that Maestro, MasterCard's on-line point of sale debit brand, is a convenient retail payment option for Wal-Mart customers.