MasterCard Europe Reaches Interim Arrangement with European Commission on Cross-Border...

MasterCard Europe Reaches Interim Arrangement with European Commission on
Cross-Border Interchange Fees

Appeal of the Commission's December 2007 Decision to Continue

WATERLOO, Belgium and PURCHASE, N.Y., April 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
MasterCard Europe said today that it had reached an understanding with the
European Commission on interim interchange fees for cross-border consumer
payments within the European Economic Area (EEA). New interchange fees will be
set for these transactions while the company pursues its appeal of the
Commission's December 2007 decision regarding interchange. MasterCard Europe
had temporarily reduced these fees to zero in June 2008 in order to ensure its
conformity with the decision.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061031/MCLOGO )

In announcing the interim fees, Javier Perez, president, MasterCard Europe,
said:

"MasterCard Europe welcomes the Commission's recognition of the legitimacy of
interchange fees in open four-party payment systems. We expect this will
provide a degree of clarity for our customers, thereby facilitating progress
towards the implementation of the Single Euro Payments Area.

"However, we do not believe this level of interchange is adequate to sustain
strong competition in the European payments industry or to encourage the
investment and innovation that will be required to provide European consumers
and merchants with better payment products in the future. That is why these
rates are only interim, and why we are pursuing our appeal in the European
Court of First Instance of the European Commission's December 2007 decision.
We believe we have strong arguments that the decision should be reversed.

"We also believe these interim interchange fees significantly undervalue the
benefits merchants receive from accepting payment cards, such as a payment
guarantee and higher sales than with cash. Experience has demonstrated that
when interchange fees are artificially lowered without reflecting the benefits
of payment cards for all participants in the system, the result is higher
costs and reduced benefits for cardholders.

"We remain committed to providing payment systems that benefit the millions of
European cardholders and merchants who rely on MasterCard and Maestro cards,
and to providing our customers with competitive and best-in-class payments
products and services."

New Rates and Rules

Effective 1 July 2009 MasterCard Europe will establish intra-EEA cross-border
default interchange rates for consumer card transactions that, on average,
will not exceed 30 basis points for credit cards and 20 basis points for debit
cards. These interim rates will apply only to cross-border transactions,
which account for less than five percent of MasterCard Europe's total volume.

On 1 July 2009 MasterCard Europe also will publish on its website the new
interchange rates and the rates that MasterCard Europe itself establishes in
the EEA, both for cross-border and domestic transactions. MasterCard Europe
acquirers will be required to inform merchants of the availability of these
interchange fees and of the MasterCard and Maestro Merchant Rules on
MasterCard's website. MasterCard Europe acquirers will also be required to
inform merchants about the Company's existing rules and practices concerning
surcharging and a new rule providing specifically for merchants' freedom to
use multiple acquirers to process their MasterCard consumer, MasterCard
commercial and Maestro transactions.

In addition, MasterCard Europe announced a new rule for its acquirers that
will provide merchants with specific information about the cost of accepting
MasterCard consumer, MasterCard commercial and Maestro cards.

MasterCard expects that all four-party systems will be held to the same
standard so that there will be a level playing field in the European payments
industry.

Finally, MasterCard Europe announced today that effective 1 July 2009 it will
withdraw in the EEA the acquirer fee increases and new fees implemented last
October.

MasterCard does not anticipate that the actions announced today will have any
significant near-term financial impact on the company.

About MasterCard Europe
MasterCard Europe is the entity responsible for managing MasterCard
Worldwide's business in Europe - for Europe. With headquarters in Waterloo,
Belgium, MasterCard Europe works with 51 European countries stretching as far
afield as the eastern border of Russia. Through its network of local offices,
MasterCard Europe can understand and meet the diverse needs of customers in
the very different types of markets throughout Europe, enabling people to do
business in their own way in their own language.

About MasterCard Worldwide

MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical economic
link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants
worldwide. As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard develops and
markets payment solutions, processes approximately 21 billion transactions
each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to
financial-institution customers and merchants. Powered by the MasterCard
Worldwide Network and through its family of brands, including MasterCard(R),
Maestro(R) and Cirrus(R), MasterCard serves consumers and businesses in more
than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to
www.mastercard.com.

Forward-Looking Statements - United States Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995
Statements in this press release which are not historical facts, including
statements about MasterCard's plans, strategies, beliefs and expectations, are
forward-looking and subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements speak
only as of the date they are made. Accordingly, except for the company's
ongoing obligations under the United States federal securities laws, the
company does not intend to update or otherwise revise the forward-looking
information to reflect actual results of operations, changes in general
economic or industry conditions, changes in financial condition, changes in
estimates, expectations or assumptions or other circumstances arising and/or
existing since the preparation of this press release or to reflect the
occurrence of any unanticipated events. Such forward-looking statements
include, without limitation:

-- the outcome of the company's appeal;
-- the company's ability to have its products remain competitive and
continue to benefit millions of European cardholders and merchants;
-- the likelihood that the European Commission will apply the same
standards to competitive four-party systems in the near future;
-- the fact that the company does not anticipate that the announced
actions
will have any significant near-term financial impact; and
-- whether reduced interchange fees result in higher cost and reduced
benefits for consumers.

Actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements for
a number of reasons, including those set forth in the company's filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the company's Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, and the Current
Reports on Form 8-K that have been filed with the SEC during 2009. Factors
other than those listed above could also cause the company's results to differ
materially from expected results.

SOURCE MasterCard Worldwide

Louise Herbert of MasterCard Europe, +32-(0)2-352-5647,
louise_herbert@mastercard.com; or Barbara Gasper, Investor Relations of
MasterCard Worldwide, +1-914 249-4565, investor_relations@mastercard.com