MasterCard profit rises as card payments grow

Jan 31 (Reuters) - MasterCard Inc, the world's second-largest credit and debit card network, reported a higher fourth-quarter profit as more people choose card payments over cash.

For the quarter ended Dec. 31, net income rose to $605 million, or $4.86 per share, from $19 million, or 15 cents per share, a year earlier.

The company took a $495 million litigation charge in the year-ago quarter.

Revenue rose 10 percent to $1.9 billion.

Cardholders made $727 billion of purchases worldwide, on a local currency basis, up 13 percent.