with a little help from MasterCard

Master the SeasonThis holiday season, don’t just survive…

Love SpamMost of us disregard junk mail and spam. Around the holidays, pay closer attention as many companies send great promotions. This is especially true of membership loyalty clubs. The dollars you save may be your own.

Divide and Conquer Don’t do everything yourself. Empower your kids to make their own gift purchases. Set budget limits by loading a MYPLASH Reloadable Prepaid card for them—it works everywhere Debit MasterCard is accepted. Check more things off your list and teach your children financial responsibility.

Shop Smart People selected mall crowds and long lines as two things most dreaded during the holiday season. Check your retail credit cards for exclusive holiday sales or shopping hours—many companies give early advance notice if you sign up for emails or text alerts.

69%

90%

Crowds and Long Lines

of Americans report money as a significant source of stress, and this heightens during the holiday season1

of retailers offered free shipping during the

2012 holiday season2

were chosen as the things customers

dreaded the most during the holiday season3

When it comes to

Holiday Shopping Facts

Build a Budget Some 69% of Americans report money as a significant source of stress, which increases during the holidays. Write down how much you can afford for gifts, travel and other expenses. Stick to that budget by tracking purchases. Use one credit or debit card for everything to help keep an accurate record. A prepaid card limits spending to the amount loaded on the card.

Use All Your Tools Shopping online can help save money due to online coupons and promotion codes. Almost 93% of retailers offered free shipping during the 2012 holiday season...and the same may happen this year. Look for free offers. To save money and time, check out online quickly and securely with MasterPass, a free digital wallet service that stores all payment and shipping information in one convenient place.

holiday shopping

When it comes to

Pack Smart Last year, over 90 million Americans traveled during the holidays making airport security a nightmare. Travel with unwrapped gifts and put food and liquids in checked bag or ship them ahead of time.

Check Your Offers Check with your membership associations or credit cards for special travel offers. For example, World and World Elite MasterCard cardholders get valuable saving, upgrades and experiences including ‘best available price’ across all travel categories—air, private jet, cruise, chauffeured car service or rental, packaged tours and concierge.

Earn and Use Rewards The benefits you get from using a credit card that offers airline or hotel rewards can make a huge difference when you’re traveling and can help pay for your next trip. Cards like the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® World Master Card get you double Miles on American Airlines purchases.

Fuel Your TripA record 84 million people drove at least 50 miles between Dec. 22-31, 2012. Check tire pressure as properly inflated tires improve gas mileage by about 3%. Pack only what is need—every 100 pounds of cargo reduces car fuel efficiency by up to 2%. Free loyalty programs like MasterCard’s partnership with Fuel Rewards Network allows members to save money at the gas pump.

holiday travel 90 million

3%6

2%7

84 million

Americans traveled during the holidays in 20124

people were predicted to drive at least 50 miles

between Dec. 22 and Jan. 1, 20125

Holiday Travel Facts

Properly inflated tires can improve gas

mileage by about

Every additional 100 pounds of cargo in

your car reduces fuel efficiency by up to

finding the perfect giftWhen it comes to

Give an ExperienceEveryone knows someone who has everything. Give them something they can’t get anywhere else. Check out MasterCard Priceless Cities, which gives cardholders extraordinary experiences, exclusive offers and privileged access to culinary, shopping, sports, travel and entertainment events.

For the Gift ChallengedAlmost 60% of people surveyed last year said they wanted gift cards. They are perfect for:8

• The Doorman: You see him every day but it’s hard to know what your doorman really wants. Give something to remember you by—a gift card. When he goes to swipe it, he’ll think of you and make sure your packages get to you a little faster.

• The Sports Fanatic: Forget about a player’s jersey, choose a MasterCard gift card. They are accepted at millions of locations around the world, including most major stadiums.

• The Long Lost Relative: What do you get someone you barely know? Choose the perfect gift at GiftCards.com. MasterCard gift cards can be personalized with messages and names (hopefully you know how to spell it correctly).

• The Tween: Tweens loves gift cards for financial freedom. This year, give them independence and financial responsibility, in style, with a SpendSmart MasterCard Prepaid card. The card teaches budgeting and instant text alerts keep you notified as purchases are made.

• The College Student: College students can be scattered. The Vanilla MasterCard Gift Card, available at Walmart, is perfect as cards are protected against unauthorized purchases with the MasterCard Zero Liability policy.

Tip: You may want to keep

card or card number handy for returns so any return

balances are added back to the card

Sources

1. American Psychological Association. Retrieved June 5, 2013 from http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2012/impact.aspx?item=2.

2. National Retail Federation. Retrieved June 5, 2013 from http://www.nrf.com/modules.php?name=News&op=viewlive&sp_id=1479.

3. Consumer Reports. Retrieved June 6, 2013 from http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2011/11/americans-top-holiday-dreads-mdash-being-nice-makes-the-list/index.htm.

4. AAA. Retrieved June 6, 2013 from http://newsroom.aaa.com/tag/2012-aaa-thanksgiving-holiday-travel-forecast/.

5. AAA. Retrieved June 6, 2013 from http://newsroom.aaa.com/tag/2012-aaa-thanksgiving-holiday-travel-forecast/.

6. U.S. Department of Energy. Retrieved June 6, 2013 from http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/maintain.shtml.

7. U.S. Department of Energy. Retrieved June 6, 2013 from http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/driveHabits.shtml.

8. National Retail Federation. Retrieved June 8, 2013: http://www.nrf.com/modules.php?name=News&op=viewlive&sp_id=1451.