MasterCard's 'Fare Free Mondays' Returns to London Next Week for Apple Pay Users

[MacRumors]

MasterCard has announced that it will be relaunching its "Fare Free Mondays" promotion in London, England next week. Each Monday between February 29 and March 14, commuters using Apple Pay to touch in and out of the Transport for London network will be reimbursed for travel costs that are paid for with a U.K. MasterCard.

The promotion is valid for travel on London Buses, London Underground, London Trams, Docklands Light Railway, London Overground, TfL Rail, Emirates Air Line, and most National Rail services in London, where a yellow card reader is present. MasterCard will reimburse up to £28.10 per person on each of the three Mondays.

The exact dates and times for "Fare Free Mondays" based on London time:

- Monday, February 29 at 4:30 a.m. to Tuesday, March 1 at 1:00 a.m.
- Monday, March 7 at 4:30 a.m. to Tuesday, March 8 at 1:00 a.m.
- Monday, March 14 at 4:30 a.m. to Tuesday, March 15 at 1:00 a.m.

The promotion was first offered on Mondays between November 23 and December 14.

Article Link: MasterCard's 'Fare Free Mondays' Returns to London Next Week for Apple Pay Users

 

[mrcobra92]

Ah yes. And Visa uses get the shaft.

 

[uid15]

How about doing it EVERY MONDAY from now on, instead of a virtuous "Aren't we wonderful!" promo month? If you are giving something kind, make it PERMANENT.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

How about doing it EVERY MONDAY from now on, instead of a virtuous "Aren't we wonderful!" promo month? If you are giving something kind, make it PERMANENT.

Uh, what? This is pretty generous - they're losing up to $120/person during each of these promotions. There's no way they could afford to make it permanent.

The aim of the promotion is to make customers try it and see how convenient it is. Once they realize how convenient it is, MasterCard hopes they'll keep doing it (without the financial incentive).

I guess they could have a permanent promotion of "The first 3 days that you use Apple Pay to commute, we'll reimburse you up to $40/day."

 

[gnasher729]

Oh well. Don't have a MasterCard, don't have ApplePay.

And remember that the "lucky" people who get reimbursed $40 on each of three days are paying $40 on each of the other four days of the week and every working day.

If it was _every_ Monday then it would pay for MasterCard fees + a new iPhone

 

[mike2413088]

Well at least you guys in London have the brains to use contactless cards, chip, and mobile payments.

Here in America we listen to:
"What? Contactless? What's that?"
"No, I'm not using a contactless card, they're stupid and dangerous."
"Mobile phone payments aren't safe, I'll just swipe my card instead."
"Why do I have to insert the card instead? That's stupid."
[doublepost=1456418042][/doublepost]

Ah yes. And Visa uses get the shaft.

Why would you even use a Visa anyways? MasterCard is more widely accepted, and there's no advantage to choosing a Visa over a MasterCard.

 

[Manesh]

Well at least you guys in London have the brains to use contactless cards, chip, and mobile payments.

Here in America we listen to:
"What? Contactless? What's that?"
"No, I'm not using a contactless card, they're stupid and dangerous."
"Mobile phone payments aren't safe, I'll just swipe my card instead."
"Why do I have to insert the card instead? That's stupid."
[doublepost=1456418042][/doublepost]

Why would you even use a Visa anyways? MasterCard is more widely accepted, and there's no advantage to choosing a Visa over a MasterCard.

Its exactly the same, or worse here in london. Though I'd add this to the list for whenever it is used:
"Wooah, thats scary"

 

[RichardGroves]

Uh, what? This is pretty generous - they're losing up to $120/person during each of these promotions. There's no way they could afford to make it permanent.

The aim of the promotion is to make customers try it and see how convenient it is. Once they realize how convenient it is, MasterCard hopes they'll keep doing it (without the financial incentive).

I guess they could have a permanent promotion of "The first 3 days that you use Apple Pay to commute, we'll reimburse you up to $40/day."

You'd have to spend most of the day travelling to get the $40/day. Most days travel will cap out at about $10. Still, free money, so yippee!

 

[Evan Davis]

Why would you even use a Visa anyways? MasterCard is more widely accepted, and there's no advantage to choosing a Visa over a MasterCard.

In the UK, debit cards are far more prevalent than credit cards and most banks issue Visa Debit cards only.

Unfortunately none of the Debit MasterCard issuing banks have signed up to Apple Pay whereas almost all UK Visa Debit cards will work on Apple Pay.

Hence this promotion is only available to the relatively few that have MasterCard credit cards.

 

[Gasu E.]

Ah yes. And Visa uses get the shaft.

How about doing it EVERY MONDAY from now on, instead of a virtuous "Aren't we wonderful!" promo month? If you are giving something kind, make it PERMANENT.

As Americans, we inherited much from our English forebears; including language, concepts of government and human rights, and the ability to be ungracious entitled ingrates. Thanks, England, for your many gifts!

 

[RedOrchestra]

Why would you even use a Visa anyways? MasterCard is more widely accepted

When all else fails, at least try to be truthful -

http://www.statista.com/statistics/245372/number-of-cardholders-by-credit-card-type/

 

[redhanded]

Oh well. Don't have a MasterCard, don't have ApplePay.

And remember that the "lucky" people who get reimbursed $40 on each of three days are paying $40 on each of the other four days of the week and every working day.

Not if they cycle in for the other four days of the week...

A good proportion of the people where I work cycle in but nobody does it every single day and choose between underground or bike depending on the weather, if they are doing something after work and now maybe free travel offers for the underground...

 

[Amazing Iceman]

Why don't we get a "Free Gas Monday" here in the U.S.???

 

[macs4nw]

How about doing it EVERY MONDAY from now on, instead of a virtuous "Aren't we wonderful!" promo month? If you are giving something kind, make it PERMANENT.

I don't know but this must be costing them a pretty penny already. Isn't your request perhaps a bit much?

 

[dwaltwhit]

We need more of these types of creative incentives in America to increase user and merchant buy in.

 

[Loge]

When all else fails, at least try to be truthful -

http://www.statista.com/statistics/245372/number-of-cardholders-by-credit-card-type/

This appears to be behind a paywall.

 

[things]

...
Why would you even use a Visa anyways? MasterCard is more widely accepted, and there's no advantage to choosing a Visa over a MasterCard.

visa has c. 95% market share for debit cards in the UK

mc has over 50% market share for credit cards, but that's been falling, not sure who uses them, haven't seen one for ages, maybe more popular for branded store cards?

the promotion is clearly an attempt by mc to get users to set it as their default payment method and to use it, so that mc can increase revenue

but contactless card is less hassle to use than apple pay - lighter, smaller, tougher, less risk of theft/damage - especially in the rush hour scrum

 

[JohnApples]

"There's no way my fellow MacRumors readers will be able to put a negative spin on something like this!"

I'm ashamed of my own naivety and stupidity.

 

[RichardGroves]

In the UK, debit cards are far more prevalent than credit cards and most banks issue Visa Debit cards only.

Unfortunately none of the Debit MasterCard issuing banks have signed up to Apple Pay whereas almost all UK Visa Debit cards will work on Apple Pay.

Hence this promotion is only available to the relatively few that have MasterCard credit cards.

Debit cards aren't that much more prevalent. 97 vs 60 million - http://uk.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/uk-britain-credit-debit-card-statistics-international.php Haven't got data on issuer type for each, but suspect you are correct that Visa is larger than MC (and maybe that is why MC have a marketing promotion running??)

 

[mcfrazieriv]

Isn't it a press or a tap?

 

[tmiw]

We need more of these types of creative incentives in America to increase user and merchant buy in.

The only way there'll be anywhere near 100% merchant acceptance in the US is if:

1. Tap transactions became 100% free to the merchant and
2. Apple transmits cardholder name and other identifying information to the merchant for every transaction.

Otherwise merchants will do everything they can to keep collecting data on customers and failing that, try to engineer a mass switch back to cash by making the chip experience suck. IMO, Apple misjudged how much retailers actually hate cards.

 

[uid15]

I don't know but this must be costing them a pretty penny already. Isn't your request perhaps a bit much?

I was parodying the entitled generation, not implying it should become reality.

 

[macs4nw]

I was parodying the entitled generation, not implying it should become reality.

Got it.

 

[mike2413088]

mc has over 50% market share for credit cards, but that's been falling, not sure who uses them, haven't seen one for ages, maybe more popular for branded store cards?

A lot of American banks are switching from Visa to MasterCard.

Citi was one, and my credit union was another. My Key Bank Card is a MasterCard, and my Capital One card are also MasterCards. That might have something to do with the slower rate of falling.

I only have one Visa now (Chase).

 

[tmiw]

A lot of American banks are switching from Visa to MasterCard.

Citi was one, and my credit union was another. My Key Bank Card is a MasterCard, and my Capital One card are also MasterCards. That might have something to do with the slower rate of falling.

I only have one Visa now (Chase).

And a lot are switching to Visa for nearly all of their cards. Personally I had zero MasterCards until this past year.