MasterCard is one of the oldest payment systems, which among its customers has more than 22 thousand financial institutions of various profiles in 210 countries. The company was founded in 1966, and since then it has been one of the most common payment systems. According to official figures, every fifth inhabitant of the Earth has a card, which is served by the MasterCard payment system.
This resource is one of the three largest international companies working in the field of payment transfer services. The share occupied by MasterCard market is 21% of the total global financial turnover. But for the average user, another thing is interesting - what can the system offer today? What MasterCard cards are available and how profitable is it to use this payment system?
If you ask a bank employee what the difference is between MasterCard, Maestro and Visa, then a person is unlikely to get a clear answer. Moreover, Maestro is a subsidiary of MasterCard. As a rule, the client is provided with the final information about the card itself and the conditions for its use. But in order to understand how the rules for using bank payment cards are created, first you need to find out what advantages the MasterCard system provides:
General Availability of MasterCard Systems. Today, almost everyone in the world can use the services of a popular system.
Simplicity of design. The speed of issuing cards by banks has reached a phenomenal level. Most financial institutions have the function of issuing full-fledged payment cards within 10 minutes, sometimes even faster.
The client gets the opportunity to pay by card anywhere in the world, withdraw money from ATMs and buy goods in all online stores.
Due to the developed infrastructure in the form of ATMs and financial institutions, each client has access to money, regardless of where he is.
Payment by MasterCard in stores, bars, restaurants and other similar establishments.
The cardholder can block it at any time in case of theft or loss.
The biggest achievement of the MasterCard payment system is global. For more than 50 years of existence, the world famous brand has become an international brand and justifies its planetary status in every way. But there is a small minus, since the system is world-wide popular, it is extremely interesting for fraudsters, hence the increasing number of thefts. However, the company is concerned about the safe conduct of the transaction and the safety of saving its own customers and often introduces innovative technologies in its activities.
MasterCard payment system is more common in Europe, because the money is stored in virtual storage in euros, which significantly reduces conversion fees. For example, if a Russian owner of a MasterCard card wants to rent a car in Europe, and the main account is in rubles, then the internal conversion will look like this: RUR - EUR. In the case of a Visa card, this operation will cost the owner more, and the exchange algorithm will have the following scheme: RUR - USD - EUR. From this we conclude that the Visa payment system is more focused on the American financial market, since the main working currency is the dollar. But MasterCard is much more profitable to use in the countries of the old world.
The list of cards issued is quite large, so consider the most interesting of them:
Maestro is one of the most common plastic cards issued by the MasterCard system. It is supported by many retail outlets for payment of goods. It is also designed for cash withdrawals at ATMs, special currency points and supports electronic payments (on the Internet). Maestro cards are widely used in Russia, uniting more than 10 million customers and about 100 thousand retail outlets. The standard price for using a card is 300 rubles per year, but most banks provide a card for free use, thereby popularizing the Maestro brand. It is noteworthy that educational institutions often use this card for scholarships.
Payment card MasterCard Electronic. Payment by such a card on the Internet is not possible. This is a standard and unremarkable payment instrument, which began to be released back in 1996, setting the pace for the development of electronic payment systems. It was MasterCard Electronic that became the foundation for the implementation of subsequent solutions and capabilities. You can get a card starting from the age of 14, and annual service will depend on the issuer bank.
MasterCard World is a payment card for travelers, at least as representatives of the system themselves say about it. The card is always issued embossed (name, surname and number are highlighted on the card in a convex form). MasterCard system for owners of Word plastic offers access to the MasterCard Favorites service and insurance of the amount in the account in case of loss or theft of the card. It is produced both with a chip for PayPass payment systems and with a conventional magnetic strip. There is a CVC2 code at the back, so the owner can shop online.
MasterCard Gold is a premium card that has slightly more features than conventional payment instruments. The cardholder gets access to the “MasterCard Favorites” menu, which allows you to get a lot of discounts from various shops, restaurants, shopping centers. In addition, owners of MasterCard Gold can insure money in the account, but not more than 50 thousand dollars. If the card is credit, then the bank raises the limit and slightly reduces the interest on the loan. Cardholders can also participate in Hotel Express, Simple, IAPA and Priority Pass discount programs.
MasterCard Platinum, corresponding to the name, has the highest level of access to the system. The privileges that the holder of such a card receives are incomparable with the capabilities of Gold and World cardholders. Plastic is issued to wealthy customers, setting a high limit on credit. In special cases, and by agreement, MasterCard can remove the limits. A lot of services provided by the system and the issuing bank are invested in the payment instrument.
Most issued cards require authorization in your account when making a payment. To use some of them, just enter the pin code.
In each country, fees for making payments are slightly different. The fact is that the system has a standard commission, an additional fee is taken by the bank that issued the payment details. The final cost of a particular transaction depends on the conditions of the bank. Despite this, there is a commission creation system that is relevant for all MasterCard cards.
If the transaction amount is below 200 rubles, then the system charges a fee of 0.004 euros.
A financial transaction from 200 to 4000 rubles involves a commission of 0.009 euros.
All operations over 4000 rubles have a commission of 0.015 euros.
An additional fee is charged by the system from the issuing bank for such services as authorization in the system, request for a balance, declined payment, PIN unlock, authorized notification by MasterCard or Maestro. The cost of these services is 0.2 euros.
The above tariffs form the basis of the commissions of the issuing bank. And the amount of fees charged for specific services is formed due to the banks internal pricing policy and competition in the region, region or city.
As can be seen from the above, paying for goods and services with a MasterCard card is profitable in the same way as other financial transactions, and the system itself has been and remains the leader in the global market.
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