Mastercard Launches AI Assistant to Help Cardholders Access Benefits

The card network has launched Mastercard Max, an AI-powered assistant designed to help cardholders discover, understand, and activate their card benefits through natural language interactions.

C6 Bank in Brazil is among the first financial institutions deploying the service to its customers. SNB Group, Nedbank, I&M Bank, and Attijariwafa Bank are also working to roll out the assistant, while Citi is exploring opportunities to offer it in Singapore and Hong Kong.

Banks can integrate Mastercard Max directly into their digital channels, including mobile banking apps, or connect it to existing virtual assistants already in use.

The assistant combines conversational AI with benefit information from both Mastercard and the issuing bank to deliver what the payment network calls a more intelligent and personalised experience. Cardholders can ask questions about their perks in their own words rather than navigating menus or documentation.

The system adapts recommendations based on the customer's specific card, eligibility status, location, and current context, evolving alongside each user's needs.

The assistant aims to transform existing card offerings into deeper customer engagement and loyalty for issuers, according to Mastercard.

Mastercard Max unlocks more value for cardholders from the benefits they already have while helping issuers turning everyday spend into deeper relationships, chief consumer product officer Bunita Sawhney said.

By making benefits a more active part of the customer experience, issuers can also strengthen engagement and create new cross-sell opportunities, Sawhney added.

Mastercard handles the agent models, content, and orchestration behind the assistant, reducing the development burden on issuing banks.

The technology is now available globally to Mastercard's issuing partners.

Consumers shouldn't have to dig through multiple apps or websites to understand their card benefits, said Gustavo Torres, innovation head at C6 Bank.

At C6 Bank, we already use artificial intelligence to simplify customer experience, with AI agents each performing a specialised and specific function, Torres noted.

He explained that Mastercard Max will integrate into C6 Bank's existing AI ecosystem to answer questions and surface relevant benefits when customers need them most, whether at home or traveling abroad.