Purchase, N.Y.– In time for the start of the 2006 Major League Baseball season, MasterCard International has announced that nine MLB teams will accept MasterCard PayPass, a new contactless payment option, at in-stadium concession stands.

With MasterCard PayPass, baseball fans will spend less time standing in line or fumbling for cash at concession stands, and more time catching the on-field action. Cardholders simply tap their PayPass-enabled card or device on the specially-equipped merchant terminals throughout the stadiums when purchasing concessions under $25.

PayPass is now accepted at stadiums across the country, including Busch Stadium, Citizens Bank Park, Dodger Stadium, Fenway Park, Great American Ballpark, Petco Park, Shea Stadium, Turner Field and Yankee Stadium - homes of the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees, respectively. MasterCard expects to announce additional stadiums in the future.

“The benefits and functionality of MasterCard PayPass are ideally suited for stadium settings,” said Art Kranzley, Executive Vice President, Advanced Payments, MasterCard International. “PayPass is a perfect way for sports teams to enhance the fan experience by allowing fans to quickly make their purchases, so they can return to their seats to enjoy the game.”

MasterCard PayPass is a new “contactless” payment feature that provides consumers with a fast and convenient alternative to cash for their everyday small purchases. PayPass cards and devices feature a radio frequency embedded chip and antenna that quickly and securely transmits payment details wirelessly between the PayPass device and the merchant’s terminal. The transaction is then processed through the MasterCard network in the normal manner for clearing and settlement. PayPass-enabled cards, like other traditional MasterCard cards, also include magnetic stripe technology, so cardholders can use the cards anywhere MasterCard is accepted around the world. PayPass technology can also be used in a number of devices, such as a convenient payment fob that fits on a key chain for easy access.

PayPass Deployment Marks the Start of New York Yankee-MasterCard Alliance The deployment of MasterCard PayPass technology at Yankee Stadium is the first program under a new sponsorship agreement between MasterCard and the New York Yankees. In addition to the acceptance of PayPass-enabled cards and devices at select stadium point-of-sale locations, MasterCard is now the “official card” of the 26-time World Champions.

“MasterCard is proud of this new affiliation with the New York Yankees - a truly world-class organization,” said Lawrence Flanagan, Worldwide Chief Marketing Officer, MasterCard International. “The ‘House that Ruth Built’, along with our eight other stadiums, represent the ideal venues to showcase the promise of PayPass.”

MasterCard has led the payments industry with in-stadium deployment of contactless payments with the 2005 announcement of PayPass acceptance in several National Football League stadiums including, QWEST Field, M&T Bank Stadium, Lincoln Financial Field, FedExField, Giants Stadium, Arrowhead Stadium and Ford Field, homes of the Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, New York Giants/New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions, respectively.

MasterCard PayPass acceptance is ideal for sports venues and other cash-dominant environments, such as convenience stores, quick serve restaurants, drug stores, transit, gas stations, and movie theaters, where speed and ease of use are essential. PayPass-enabled cards, like other traditional MasterCard cards, include magnetic stripe technology and can be used anywhere MasterCard is accepted in the world.

The following merchants also accept MasterCard PayPass: participating McDonald’s, 7-Eleven stores, CVS, Meijer Stores, Sheetz, Regal Entertainment Group theatres (Regal Cinemas, United Artists Theatres and Edwards Theatres), Duane Reade, Wawa and Quick Chek.

For more information go to www.mastercardinternational.com.