The Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard Expands Relationship with MasterCard to Offer Exclusive Prepaid Business Gift Cards

ORLANDO, Fla., and PURCHASE, N.Y., March 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard (March 22-28, 2010) and MasterCard Worldwide today announced the availability of The Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard Prepaid MasterCard® Business Gift cards, created exclusively for the tournament. The cards, created in partnership with Springbok Services, feature two unique designs and include the widely-recognized Arnold Palmer signature and umbrella logo. A more convenient and secure option than vouchers or cash, the cards can be provided to tournament guests to make purchases anywhere on the tournament grounds.

Issued by KeyBank, The Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard Prepaid MasterCard is a safe and easy way to purchase food and beverage concessions, souvenirs and other items on tournament grounds. Cards can be preloaded with dollar amounts ranging from $20 to $1,000 and ordered via www.arnoldpalmerinvitational.com. After the tournament, remaining card balances can be used for purchases online, in stores or anywhere Debit MasterCard is accepted.

For each card ordered, The Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard will donate $1.00 to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, collectively known as the Arnold Palmer Medical Center.

"MasterCard has been a long-time sponsor of the Arnold Palmer Invitational and we're excited to add The Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard Prepaid MasterCard Business Gift card as a new offering for tournament attendees. The card adds to the tournament experience and because of this we envision many corporations, businesses and other organizations providing them to clients and employees," said Scott Wellington, Tournament Director, The Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard. "We're also excited about these cards because they help support important charities tied to the tournament."

"MasterCard has a proven track record of delivering innovative prepaid solutions. Because of this, the world's most respected organizations, like The Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard, consistently choose MasterCard as their prepaid product development and implementation network partner," said Laura Kelly, Senior Vice President, Global Prepaid & Healthcare Solutions, MasterCard Worldwide. "Working with The Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard to offer these exclusive prepaid cards enables us to expand our sponsorship role to provide a unique product that resonates with and meets the needs of both the Arnold Palmer Invitational and tournament attendees."

As part of its sponsorship, MasterCard is also offering MasterCard cardholders who purchase tournament tickets online with their MasterCard credit, debit or prepaid card a 5 percent discount on tickets, which includes access to the MasterCard Club. The MasterCard Club, exclusively for MasterCard cardholders, offers special access to premium seating, practice range viewing, golf instruction and analysis, raffles and giveaways, and other insider offers while at the tournament.

"Springbok Services has pioneered the development of full-service, multi-touch prepaid solutions for more than 10 years. In working with The Arnold Palmer Invitational and MasterCard, we focused on delivering a custom program that spanned the entire prepaid process to make the implementation and market-delivery of this card easy and turnkey," said Taylor Ohlsen, CEO, Springbok Services. "The Arnold Palmer Invitational Prepaid MasterCard offers unique benefits for cardholders and enables the tournament to raise money for the Arnold Palmer Medical Center. Integrating broad consumer functionality with the charity tie was a key aspect of our work together."

In addition to exclusive perks offered as part of the golf tournament, Prepaid MasterCard cardholders also have access to significant merchant-funded discounts and special offers from more than 25,000 merchants across the U.S. through MasterCard Savings, a merchant-funded rewards program. More information on specific merchant offers is available at www.savings.mastercard.com.

About The Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard

The Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard will hold its 32nd annual tournament March 22-28, 2010. The Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard is one of Central Florida's signature events, a premier sporting event and a highlight of the PGA TOUR, attracting some of the greatest talent in golf. The entire event is overseen and directed by one of the game's all-time greats — Arnold Palmer. Proceeds from the tournament benefit the Arnold Palmer Medical Center, including Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies.

About MasterCard

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 22 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®, Maestro® and Cirrus®, MasterCard serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to www.mastercard.com.

About Springbok Services, Inc.

Established in 1998, Springbok Services provides customized, multi-touch prepaid MasterCard® card programs to positively motivate behavior and enhance loyalty among corporate employees and/or their customers. Springbok is the leading prepaid card provider that offers complete lifecycle management of prepaid card programs from program development and card fulfillment to transaction processing and reporting. The company is SAS 70 and PCI compliant and supports nearly 6,000 clients, including 225 of the Fortune 500. Springbok, headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, is a founding member of the Network Branded Prepaid Card Association (NBPCA). For more information, visit http://www.springbokservices.com.

Springbok Services, Inc. is a registered agent of KeyBank National Association. MasterCard prepaid cards are issued by KeyBank National pursuant to a license by MasterCard International Incorporated. MasterCard and the MasterCard Brand Mark are registered trademarks of MasterCard International Incorporated.

SOURCE MasterCard