Mastercard announces World Food Day contactless initiative

Starting today (World Food Day), for three weeks Mastercard will donate one school meal for every pay as you go journey made on Transport for London (TfL) and National Rail Services in London using a contactless MasterCard, or a Mastercard loaded into Apple Pay, Android Pay or Samsung Pay.

The initiative, the result of Mastercard’s partnership with the UN World Food Programme (WFP), is the first campaign of its kind on London’s transport network. Mark Barnett, President, Mastercard UK&I, says: “Anyone who uses a Mastercard to pay as you go will travel around London knowing they’ve fed one of the world’s most vulnerable children. Hunger is one of the greatest global issues we face, and even in 2017, 815 million people still go to bed hungry every night. For three weeks, Londoners can do their bit to help achieve zero hunger and support some of the world’s neediest children with just a tap.”

“With so many competing demands on people’s time and a new global crisis every time we turn on the news, it can be difficult to feel like you’re making a difference,” says Prerana Issar, director of private sector partnerships for the World Food Programme. “Starting this World Food Day, people can arrive at work knowing that – simply as part of their morning commute – they’ve already fed a hungry child.”