MasterCard wants no bias

JAKARTA (JP): MasterCard International reminded merchants on Tuesday that they should not reject credit cards based on their place of issuance.

MasterCard International's senior vice president and general manager for Southeast Asia, Donald Van Stone, said there should be no discrimination against cards from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, all hard-hit by the economic crisis.

"During this difficult time, merchants must be reminded that it is their responsibility to accept MasterCard payment cards without prejudice," Van Stone said.

"As a global payment company, MasterCard International ultimately guarantees settlement payments for MasterCard transactions among its member financial institutions."

For Indonesia-specific queries, MasterCard said its staff in Jakarta and its Singapore help desk were available during business hours. Cardholders with concerns are advised to contact 5153426 in Jakarta or 65-3906010 in Singapore. (rid)