New Equitable MasterCard holders may transact in pesos or in dollars

A new Equitable MasterCard credit card now gives its cardholders the benefit of having two separate credit limits in peso and US dollars, allowing them greater purchasing power and the convenience of paying for their transactions in either of these denominations.

Equitable Card Network Inc., one of the premiere credit card issuers in the Philippines, launched this new credit card with the support of MasterCard during the 11th TravelTour Expo, the country’s biggest travel exposition.

This dual-currency element is one of the distinguishing features of the Equitable Travel Card, the latest MasterCard-branded product designed to give the most comprehensive benefits for travelers. Other unique features of the Equitable Travel Card include one of the lowest transaction amounts required for earning rewards points. For a minimum of only P40 charged, cardholders earn one Travel E-Point, this compares to other cards that offer one mileage point for every P45. Points are automatically awarded for all transactions.

While other travel cards are limited to a single airline, the Equitable Travel Card lets cardholders chose the way they want to travel – by land, sea or air. Cardholders are also automatically insured if they use their Equitable MasterCard Travel Card to pay for their travel fare.

Lower interest charges, two-year waiver of annual fee, easy monthly installment plans, travel-related rewards items, 24-hour customer service and online transactions, are among a host of other benefits that Equitable Travel Card offers to cardholders.

Antonio Go, president of Equitable Card Network and chairman of Equitable PCI Bank said: "We at Equitable Card Network are happy to partner with MasterCard with its wide global acceptance network. With the Equitable-MasterCard Travel Card, we’ve created the ultimate travelers companion that never compromises choice and makes travel more rewarding. The benefits are simply much more diverse, suitable, and accessible for travelers than other credit cards in this category.

"We’re proud to have this opportunity to work with Equitable Card Network and expand their payments business to a new niche market," said Jose Rene Vila-Real, vice president and country manager of MasterCard International Phils. "By helping our member financial institutions in segmenting the market, we’re also bringing to cardholders the benefits of global acceptance, both at merchants and via the ATM network, and the security of the MasterCard payment brand. "