Mastercard Inc (MA)’s New Deal, Visa Inc (V)’s Partnership, American Express Company (AXP) Survey on Business Travelers

Editor’s Note: Mastercard Inc (NYSE:MA), Visa Inc (NYSE:V), American Express Company (NYSE:AXP)

MasterCard and Blue Label bring POS terminals to South Africa’s small businesses (Fine Extra)
Mastercard Inc (NYSE:MA) has struck a deal with Blue Label Telecoms to bring point-of-sale devices to 22,000 small traders and rural shops across South Africa. Blue Label already provides POS terminals to South African retailers but they are are used predominantly to sell pre-paid vouchers for things such as mobile phone airtime and electricity.

VISA , CHASE BANK AND NAIVAS PARTNER LAUNCH SHOPPER’S CARD (The Star)
Visa Inc (NYSE:V), Chase Bank and Naivas Supermarket have announced a partnership and launched a new pre-paid reward card. The card will enables users to top up and also shop at any Visa enabled physical or online merchant. Any coin change at Naivas stores countrywide can also be loaded onto the card instead of customers receiving sweets.

American Express Survey Finds Majority of Global Business Travelers Balancing Work and Play While on the Road (BWW)
Business travelers are taking to the skies just as much as in previous years, but they are increasingly taking time out for themselves, according to new research released today by American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) Global Business Travel.1 The survey, which analyzed the habits of business travelers in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, found that U.S. business travelers are traveling just as often, and some more frequently, than they did in 2012, but are increasingly taking time out for themselves while on the road.

MasterCard pays for shoppers (New Straits Times)
Mastercard Inc (NYSE:MA) rewarded four lucky shoppers by paying for their purchases recently. This was MasterCard’s ninth consecutive week of giving out rewards. The shoppers walked away with Celine handbags and items from Marc and Marc Jacobs worth between RM12,000 and RM17,400 at the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.

Foursquare investment considered by Microsoft and American Express (Slash Gear)
It looks like both Microsoft and American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) are looking to invest in Foursquare. According to details coming from Bloomberg, the two companies are looking to take an equity stake in the company. The interesting part here, both companies are said to be competing against each other. That is, as opposed to going in on a joint bid.