In a world where digital payments power everything from daily coffee runs to government aid distribution, security and reliability aren’t just nice-to-haves, they’re non-negotiables. That’s why Yiftee has proudly teamed up with Mastercard to deliver a secure, scalable, and impactful card experience tailored for communities of all sizes.
A recent feature by Mastercard highlighted this powerful collaboration and why it matters more than ever. As cities, counties, tourism boards, and businesses look for ways to support small businesses and retain local spending, Yiftee provides the local business focus and Mastercard provides the trust and payment infrastructure to make it happen.
“Mastercard is thrilled to team up with Yiftee to bring the power of contactless payments to their Community Cards and neighborhoods across the country,” said Mary Beth Livengood, Executive Vice President, Corporate Solutions, North America, Mastercard. “By combining our Tap & Go capabilities and In Control for Mobile Payments technology with Yiftee’s solution, we’re delivering a secure, convenient digital card experience—one that supports local businesses and helps fuel vibrant, thriving communities.”
Yiftee’s Community Cards are more than digital cards. They’re local economic development tools - a “local currency.” Each card is a digital Mastercard voucher, but one that works only at participating local merchants in the issuing community. That’s where the “closed-loop” power comes in. It means every dollar spent on a Community Card is guaranteed to be spent locally with no leakage to online giants or national chains.
“Mastercard helps us bring the power of their network to the local level. It gives us the ability to offer a simple, secure and reliable product that scales across hundreds of communities,” says Yiftee CEO Donna Novitsky.
Plus, it’s completely free for communities and merchants to join.
This is especially important for cities looking to stretch limited budgets while maximizing local impact. Programs like Experience Princeton’s BOGO campaigns, Palm Springs’ Restaurant Week, and Franklin County’s YES Card all depend on Yiftee’s technology to ensure every incentive dollar truly stays in the community.
Yiftee now powers community cards in over 750 towns and cities and supports more than 20,000 local businesses. What ties them all together is the platform. And at the heart of that platform is Mastercard.
“The program's simplicity is key to its popularity among residents and merchants,” as Mastercard puts it. “With Yiftee’s recent integration of Mastercard In Control for Mobile Payments, checkout is even faster and simpler as these cards can now be loaded into mobile wallets and used anywhere with tap-and-go contactless payments.”
You can read the original Mastercard article here: How Yiftee and Mastercard Are Powering Local Economies with Digital Gift Cards
Or better yet, if you're a city leader, tourism director, or employer looking to strengthen your local economy, schedule a demo with our team. We’d love to show you how secure, impactful, and surprisingly easy it is to get started.
Because with Yiftee and Mastercard, local dollars go further; securely.