Ralston Purina Pet Products will market the Purina MBNA MasterCard, enabling pet owners to customize their cards with a two-inch- square picture of their pet.
The card has no annual fee and a six-month introductory rate of 5.9%, which jumps to 8.9% over prime thereafter.
Upon first use of the card, customers will receive a free dog or cat video with pet care and training tips. Members will also get $50 worth of Purina coupons annually. The Purina Pet Card Newsletter will arrive monthly with statements.
Each quarter, cardholders will receive a Discount Master Animal Care Catalog, featuring discounted prices on thousands of pet items. Cardholders will get free shipping and handling on all orders purchased with their Purina MBNA Card.
The card also helps support the Purina Pets for People Program, a nonprofit organization founded by the pet food company in 1984.
MBNA Corp., which specializes in affinity marketing, manages $25 billion in outstandings, and is the second-largest bank card issuer in the country.
In August, First Financial Bank of Stevens Point, Wis., with 500,000 accounts and $250 million in outstandings, began testing the 9-Lives Morris MasterCard with Heinz Pet Food Products.
The card, which sports a picture of Morris, the famous orange tabby, donates a percentage of income to animal shelters and humane societies throughout the country. And like the Purina card, it carries an 8.9% plus prime interest rate and no annual fee.
