MasterCard Europe to meet all the requirements of the UK cardholders

Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank announced a long-term partnership with MasterCard Europe. According to the official sources the banks have signed an agreement under which they will start offering MasterCard debit cards 2009. At the moment banks offer another product of MasterCard Maestro debit product which is presently used by more than two million of the UK cardholders.

The new Debit MasterCard product enables the customers to access MasterCard's acceptance network including more than 26 million merchant locations, as well as to 1.8 million ATMs and other locations worldwide.

"This is great news for our UK customers. We are very pleased to be able to extend our successful debit card relationship with MasterCard. Offering Debit MasterCard complements our existing MasterCard Maestro proposition and means that selected customers can now have the added convenience of greater global flexibility and access to their funds when traveling abroad," said Antony Lupton, Head of Savings & Money Transmission for Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks.

"We are delighted to extend our partnership with both Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank. We are seeing a maturing debit card segment, while at the same time people are demanding cards tailored to their personal needs and greater access to funds. It is therefore a real plus point for our company to be able to offer two global debit products in Maestro and Debit MasterCard, giving us the most comprehensive portfolio in the marketplace today," commented Leigh Clapham, General Manager, Developed Markets, MasterCard Europe.