OMAHA, Neb. and ALISO VIEJO, Calif., April 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Rakuten Inc., one
of the world's largest Internet services companies and First
Bankcard®, a leader in the U.S. credit card partnership
arena and a division of First National Bank of Omaha, have launched the Rakuten Rewards
MasterCard® Program, which provides cardholders with
reward points for using their credit card to shop on the
Rakuten.com website and elsewhere.
Headquartered in Tokyo, Rakuten
provides merchants, around the world, with a powerful platform via
its online marketplace model, which empowers them to offer a wide
selection of clothing, electronics, home and garden, beauty and
health, sports, as well as food and beverage items. Rakuten.com,
formerly Buy.com, is Rakuten's U.S. marketplace, offering consumers
more than 17 million products at everyday low prices from a network
of small and large business shop owners.
The new Rakuten Rewards MasterCard Program will be integrated
with the existing Rakuten Super Points™ Loyalty Program to provide
additional points to cardholders for both qualifying purchases on
Rakuten.com and on qualifying purchases everywhere else MasterCard
is accepted. In addition, customers who are instantly approved will
be able to complete their purchases with their new Rakuten Rewards
MasterCard the same day they apply.
"First Bankcard has a very personalized approach, and it was
very evident to us that they have a commitment to their customers.
Given Rakuten's own customer-centric methodology, it seemed to
offer a perfect fit for our new U.S. credit card program as we seek
to build a larger presence in the U.S. market and further drive our
digital retail business," said Masatada 'Seichu' Kobayashi, chief
executive officer, Rakuten.com. "We have seen tremendous synergy
between our marketplace and credit card businesses in Japan, where our Rakuten credit card users
have been found to enjoy shopping with us 52 percent more
frequently and spend 38 percent more than other customers."
According to Stephen Eulie,
president of First Bankcard, the new credit card program
underscores First Bankcard's commitment to provide value-added
business solutions to its customers. "We're dedicated to creating
possibilities that will help our partners grow their businesses and
drive customer loyalty, whether it's in their local communities or
worldwide," Eulie said. "Rakuten has a strong international brand,
and we're excited to help support its growth in the United States."
Rakuten Rewards MasterCard members will earn three points per
dollar spent on all qualifying purchases made on Rakuten.com and
one point per dollar spent on qualifying purchases everywhere else
MasterCard is accepted. Each point earned under the Credit Card
Rewards Program equates to one Rakuten Super Point redeemable only
through the Rakuten Program. Rakuten Super Points are redeemable
toward purchases on Rakuten.com. For a limited time, consumers who
apply for the new Rakuten MasterCard online, and are approved, will
receive 3,000 points (a $30 value) to
use on a Rakuten.com purchase.
For more information on the new Rakuten MasterCard, visit
www.rakuten.com/card.
About Rakuten Inc.
Rakuten Inc. (4755: Tokyo), is one of the world's leading Internet
service companies, providing a variety of services for consumers
and businesses, including in the areas of ecommerce, eReading,
travel, banking, securities, credit cards, e-money, logistics,
portal and media, online marketing and professional sports. In both
2012 and 2013, Rakuten was ranked among the world's "Top 10 Most
Innovative Companies" in Forbes magazine's annual list.
Rakuten is expanding worldwide and currently operates throughout
Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania. Founded in
1997, Rakuten is headquartered in Tokyo, with over 10,500 employees and partner
staff worldwide.
About First Bankcard
First Bankcard, a division of
First National Bank of Omaha, is a
leader in the credit card partnership arena, serving more than 500
financial institutions, co-brand and affinity partners nationwide.
For 60 years, First Bankcard has offered quality products and
superior service to help its customers achieve their goals. Visit
www.firstbankcard.com for more information.
About First National Bank of Omaha
First National Bank of
Omaha is a subsidiary of First
National of Nebraska, which is the
largest privately owned banking company in the United States. First National and its
affiliates have $17 billion in
managed assets and nearly 5,000 employee associates. Primary
banking offices are located in Nebraska, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas,
South Dakota and Texas.
Media
contacts:
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Serena
Tesler
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Carmichael Lynch
Spong
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646-412-3389
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serena.tesler@clynch.com
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Ayla
Richards
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Hotwire PR on behalf
of Rakuten
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646-561-8546
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RakutenUS@hotwirepr.com
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SOURCE First Bankcard