EZ-Link Pte Ltd and MasterCard Worldwide today launched the "EZ For Me campaign" to highlight the benefits to MasterCard cardholders when they top up the new ez-link cards with their MasterCard. For the first time, MasterCard cardholders will be able to use their cards to reload their ez-link cards via EZ-Reload and EZ-Online. Besides the assurance of having sufficient funds in their ez-link cards when making transit or retail payments and the convenience of topping up online, MasterCard cardholders also stand to win attractive prizes throughout the one-year "EZ for Me" campaign.

From 15 October 2009 to 31 October 2010, anyone who links a MasterCard credit or debit account to his or her ez-link card using either the EZ-Reload by Card or EZ-Online service is eligible to enter the EZ-Link-MasterCard "Free Rides" Contest. All they have to do is to register for the contest at www.ezforme.com.sg and use any of these two top-up channels to earn chances to win prizes in the lucky draws.

Every top-up made during the contest period can earn the user up to 5 chances of winning in the monthly draw where 10 lucky winners stand to win $100 worth of free rides. Five grand prize winners stand to win $1000 worth of free rides at the grand draw at the end of the campaign. These values will be added to the winners" ez-link cards and can be used to pay for SMRT and bus rides, and ez-link retail purchases.

On-the-Go Top-ups with EZ-Reload

Ideally suited for busy executives or individuals who are constantly on the move, EZ-Reload via MasterCard enables automatic top-ups at train turnstiles, bus readers, new generation in-vehicle units (IU) or selected retail merchants every time there are insufficient funds in the ez-link card. This means that there will be no more last minute top-up scares at Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantries for drivers with the new IUs. In addition, MasterCard cardholders can easily track their EZ-Reload top-up transactions via their monthly MasterCard credit or debit card statement and earn credit or debit card loyalty/rewards points.

To use EZ-Reload, ez-link cardholders can conveniently apply online at the EZ-Link website (www.ezlink.com.sg). There is no application fee and the processing time for any application takes only about 5 working days, after which the user just needs to do a one-time activation of his or her ez-link card at any General Ticketing Machine (GTM) or TransitLink Ticket Office. A $0.25 convenience fee applies for each top-up.

Skip Queues with EZ-Online

Holders of ez-link cards who prefer to skip the queues and top-up their cards in the comfort of their own homes at anytime will find EZ-Online an excellent option. All they need is a PC, Internet connection, and the new EZ-Online reader for the new ez-link cards that are on sale online from EZ-Link’s website, www.ezlink.com.sg as well as at selected outlets in Sim Lim Square Funan DigitaLife Mall (Please refer to Annex A in press release for a full listing). These can be purchased at $39 to $59, depending on the retailers bundled package with other computer accessories sold. The additional benefit of these readers is that they allow users to instantly review the last 30 transactions they have made on the card, enabling them to track and manage their travel and retail expenses easily. Furthermore, it offers users the flexibility to control the top-up value for each reload.

Users who do not wish to buy the EZ-Online Reader but still wish to top up a loved one’s ez-link card can use the EZ-Online service via a different mode called "Top & Tap". To do so, all they need to do is log on to EZ-Link’s website and click on the "Top & Tap" button, fill in the designated ez-link CAN number that is to be topped up, select the amount and key in their MasterCard details. Once the amount has been approved, the cardholder can update the designated card with the approved amount at any AXS D-Pay station.