MasterCard to Launch Prepaid Card with Mobile Operator in Japan

Published May 08, 2014, 11:12 a.m. EDT

Updated May 08, 2014, 10:12 a.m. EDT

1 Min Read

MasterCard plans to launch au Wallet, a prepaid card program that will be available to subscribers of Japanese mobile operator KDDI's au-brand mobile network.

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The au Wallet will be available on May 21 to 34 million au network subscribers starting. It will be MasterCard's largest prepaid card program in the Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa region.

The Purchase, N.Y. card network's prepaid card business grew by 40% in this region in 2013, says Ron Hynes, group executive of MasterCard's global prepaid solutions, in a May 8 press release.

The card will not require a credit evaluation. Users will be able to pay their mobile phone bills with reward points earned from making purchases with the au Wallet card.

Kristin Broughton

Kristin Broughton is a reporter for American Banker, where she writes about the business of national and regional banking.

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