Mastercard Offers Holiday Refunds For Tap-and-Go Customers In NYC

Mastercard is running two transportation-friendly holiday season options for cardholders using tap-and-go payment in New York City, the company announced in a release. 

The programs are called Taxi Tuesdays and Fareback Fridays, and they will offer refunds on subway and taxi fares for when cardholders are traveling through the city during the holidays. 

Every Tuesday from now (Dec. 10) until New Year’s Day, Mastercard will give back $10 a day on yellow or green taxis that have Curb Mobility technology or CMT Group technology systems.

Every Friday, Mastercard is going to refund cardholders who tap and go on subway rides, up to $5.50 against travel costs for two single-fare subway rides. This promotion goes through New Year’s Day.

Mastercard has been continuously pushing contactless technology and it wants to show consumers how it wants more adaption of the technology, which it says is a faster and more efficient, as well as safer way to pay. Mastercard said it’s working with partners in not only transit but retail as well, to help with the proliferation of the technology.

“Contactless technology is making every-day purchases faster and easier, while maintaining the highest level of security,” said Linda Kirkpatrick, executive vice president, U.S. Merchants and Acceptance at Mastercard. “Mastercard programs like Fareback Fridays and Taxi Tuesdays are allowing consumers to receive terrific offers while benefiting from the ‘tap-and-go’ experience.”

To know if they have tap-and-go capability, card users should check to see if they have a WiFi-like logo on the front or back of their credit cards. Even if they don’t have the symbol, cardholders can add their cards to their mobile wallet and pay on devices that are contactless-enabled, or at the turnstile or anywhere else that accepts those types of payments.

“Refunds from the Taxi Tuesdays and Fareback Fridays promotions will take up to 28 business days from the end of each Promotional Period to appear on the Mastercard cardholder’s account statement,” Mastercard said. “All qualifying trips must be paid for using either a valid contactless credit or debit Mastercard or a valid Mastercard credit or debit card through a contactless-enabled device.”