Bank One has now announced its partnership with Mastercard to roll out a whole new range of world-class debit and credit cards, following a cocktail at Domaine de Labourdonnais in Mapou, on Friday 4 November 2022, where it officially unveiled the new cards menu in the presence of its customers, collaborators, and the Mastercard team.
The new Mastercard range consists of Business debit and credit, Platinum debit and credit, and World credit cards providing business professionals and individual customers with exclusive premium benefits and lifestyle privileges. Depending on the category, cardholders will enjoy access to a wide range of new features from up to 1% unlimited cashback on all purchases to complete peace of mind through purchase protection insurance. The cards are widely accepted at millions of retail locations, and ATMs both locally and abroad and feature the latest EMV technology, thereby providing an extra layer of security to protect transactions.
“In the rapidly changing world of financial services, payments are a key enabler. Over 70% of our customers regularly use our debit and credit cards as their preferred mode of payment. Our aim is to offer our customers innovative payment services and the best possible value. That is why we have taken the time and great care to choose a partner that can deliver on our vision of excellence and innovation,” says Mark Watkinson, Chief Executive Officer of Bank One.
“A couple of incredible things are taking place in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). There’s huge population growth, and with that population growth, there is increasing demand for sophisticated services. This is going to lead to the future of the whole region of SSA, and Mauritius as well, dramatically changing in the coming years. It’s Bank One’s goal to be a bridge to Africa and we have chosen a partner, Mastercard, that is equally excited to accompany us on this journey,” he concluded, thanking the teams of Shehryar Ali and Bhavya Shah for doing an excellent job on bringing this project to life.
For his part, Shehryar Ali, Country Manager, East Africa at Mastercard, spoke about how his organisation is often considered to be a cards company alone but is really a full-fledged global technology solution provider. He mentioned that the products they are launching in collaboration with Bank One have been carefully curated in response to the need of customers to go beyond luxury assets and dive deeper into experiences that add depth and value to their lives.
“People are increasingly looking for experiences that drive personal growth and happiness. We are very excited to partner with Bank One to launch this new range of premium cards aimed at curating incomparable experiences for these discerning consumers and their loved ones. At Mastercard, we share Bank One’s vision and are committed to empowering consumers with even more value, by making transactions safe, seamless, and rewarding,” underlined Shehryar.
With Mastercard present in 110 countries, he mentioned that they provide access to exclusive experiences such as the UEFA Champions League, the Venice Film Festival, and the Rugby World Cup. “That is the power of Mastercard and what we bring to the table. It’s all about how we make our customers feel. That is the end goal we want to achieve. We want to make our customers feel excited, special, happy, joyous, and fulfilled,” he concluded.
For his part, Bhavya Shah, Head of Personal Financial Services at Bank One, underscored that the Bank is obsessed with its customers and trying to make each day a better day for them. “We launched POP as our first entry into creating seamless, everyday banking solutions. And now, after a year, we are so delighted to be at the stage where we are launching our new cards solutions.”
“The launch of the Bank One Mastercard is not just the migration of our cards but the start of a new chapter to bring the best value to our customers in all the markets we serve, here in Mauritius and across sub-Saharan Africa. These new cards have world-class features and benefits. Cards is a fast-evolving space globally, so we will continue to innovate to always provide our customers with the best solutions and experiences,” he highlighted.
“We are launching five new debit and credit cards covering both individuals and businesses. They all come in new sleek, modern designs that are truly aspirational and with pocket loads of extra security to give you complete peace of mind, especially when it comes to using cards online. Most importantly, we are doing away with all other tiers (gold, silver etc) and all our clients will now get platinum cards. What that does is that it unlocks the whole world of Mastercard benefits as a platinum card member, while we retain our cashback feature where everyone can earn up to 1% unlimited cashback on all purchases. With travel becoming a central component of life, the cards build in a lot of travel-centric features – lounge access, travel insurance, medical insurance, embarkation insurance – ensuring that if you use our new platinum Mastercard debit or credit card, it will make your journey the most convenient you have ever had,” concluded Bhavya, urging customers to activate their cards as soon as they were received in the coming week – and unleash the world of more that Mastercard and Bank One were placing at their feet.
Research from the Mastercard Economics Institute has found that global leisure and business flight bookings has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, while spending on cruise lines, buses, and trains has seen sharp improvements this year, signalling a key milestone in the global travel recovery.
The newly launched card suite works together with Mastercard destination and lifestyle programmes to offer exclusive benefits and privileges for cardholders looking to access the best value and experiences across travel, dining, shopping, sports, entertainment, and the arts.
Bank One also announced that the launch of the new cards is only the beginning of an exciting journey for the Bank and its customers. The bank looks forward to continually providing its customers with innovative payment services and full digital access to their finances.
To apply for a Bank One Mastercard, simply walk into the nearest Bank One branch or visit our website www.bankone.mu.
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Notes to editor
The Bank One Mastercard debit and credit cards offer world-class protection and premium perks to suit their customers’ fast-evolving lifestyle.
Platinum debit and credit card
Bank One’s new Mastercard Platinum debit card provides cardholders with 10% cashback on accommodation at Booking.com, 10% discount on airfares at TravelStart, and much more, while the Platinum credit card offers 0.5% unlimited cashback on all purchases, and up to 10% off on selected brands at farfetch.com.
Business debit and credit card
For the business professional and entrepreneur, Bank One Mastercard business debit and credit cards provide complete peace of mind for online transactions, with purchase protection in case of non-delivery or incomplete delivery of internet purchases and protection in case of theft or accidental loss.
World credit card
The Bank One Mastercard World credit card is for the heavy card user and frequent traveller. Over and above a 1% unlimited cashback on all purchases, it offers a range of bespoke privileges including unlimited access to premium airport lounges, airlines and car rental and chauffeured vehicle discounts, and premium merchant offers. For complete peace of mind, cardholders are also protected with travel inconvenience insurance, travel medical insurance, and a travel insurance confirmation letter.
About Bank One
Bank One is a joint venture between CIEL Finance Limited in Mauritius and Kenya-based I&M Group PLC. Over the last decade, it has built a client base of over 50,000, a dedicated team of over 425 experienced collaborators and an asset base exceeding MUR 45 billion. Bank One provides a wide range of banking products and services to its clients through a geographic footprint spread across the island of Mauritius, comprising of 7 branches and a well-distributed ATM network. It also plays an active role in supporting businesses in sub-Saharan Africa. Bank One has deep development finance institution relationships and long-term funding lines in place with the German Investment Corporation (DEG), the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the French Development Agency (Proparco). Bank One has been rated ‘BB-‘ with a Stable Outlook by Fitch Ratings.
About Mastercard (NYSE:MA)
Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart, and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments, and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all. www.mastercard.com.
