Mastercard provides extra security for Amazon purchases

Amazon customers in 12 countries will have their stored card credentials tokenized by Mastercard.

Tokenization replaces a consumer’s physical card number with a token, which is payment information unique to each individual transaction that can be used only by the merchant requesting it. Amazon will begin using Mastercard tokens via the Mastercard Digital Enablement Service (MDES) for transactions through 2020 in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates.

Unlike physical cards, network tokens do not expire. When consumers receive a new physical card from their bank, their credentials are automatically updated, eliminating the need to re-enter their card numbers as well as interruptions during checkout. MDES is a frictionless commerce platform which is live with more than 2,600 issuers and 1,200 token requestors around the world.

In addition, Mastercard makes issuer card artwork available for every cardholder. According to research from Mastercard and Kantar, 80% of cardholders are likely to complete a purchase when an image of their specific credit card is shown.

“The behavioral shift that we are seeing has accelerated in recent months, but it’s a product of our work to create the infrastructure and partner ecosystem, for the digitally-savvy consumer and forward-thinking businesses like Amazon,” said Jorn Lambert, executive VP, digital solutions, Mastercard. “Mastercard’s work with Amazon and others is a testament to the strength of our well-established digital product suite – we create consumer journeys that improve the shopping experience and boost approval rates.”