Tempo Payments Inc. said Monday that Dogster Inc. is offering affinity debit cards using its network.
Dogster owns several pet-themed Web sites and blogs, and it said that its users can now sign up for debit cards linked to their bank accounts and bearing photos of their pets.
Tempo, a San Mateo, Calif., payments company, operates a debit system that routes transactions across the automated clearing house network. It shifted its business model in October to focus on attracting special-interest groups that would use its system to offer affinity cards.
The MasterCard Inc. branded cards can be used at any merchant that accepts MasterCard.
"Affinity debit cards represent a new loyalty option for businesses large and small," and the Tempo system can "change the economics of tailoring cards to specific groups of customers," Mike Grossman, Tempo's chief executive, said in a press release.
