Global Cookie and Tracker Notice

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Mastercard Global Cookie Notice

Effective Date: 09/09/2026

Mastercard International Incorporated and its affiliates (collectively, “Mastercard”) respect your privacy.

This Global Cookie and Tracker Notice explains how Mastercard uses Cookies on websites, applications, and other online environments globally (“Sites”) and Email Trackers in emails we send.

It should be read alongside information provided through our consent management tool or “cookie banner” (“Consent Tool”) on Sites. This Notice, together with our Consent Tool, explains the types of Cookies we use, why we use them, and the choices available to you. The Consent Tool provides the most current, Site-specific details, including the Cookies used on the corresponding Site.

This Notice applies only to “Mastercard-provided Sites,” meaning Sites that Mastercard owns or operates and makes available directly to users. Sites provided by our clients or partners are outside the scope of this Notice unless the Consent Tool for that Site indicates that this Notice applies.

If a Site is provided to you by one of our clients or partners, and the Consent Tool on that Site indicates that Mastercard manages Cookies and Trackers for the Site (but does not process any other Personal Information as controller), that client or partner acts as the data controller for all processing activities that do not involve the use of Cookies and Trackers.

To learn more about our broader privacy practices, please see our Global Privacy Notice. If a Site has its own privacy notice, please refer to that notice instead.

  • What are Cookies and Trackers?

A "cookie” is a text file placed on a computer’s hard drive by a web server. A “web beacon” (also known as an Internet tag, pixel tag or clear GIF), is a technology that helps website and app providers identify when content has been accessed or visited. A Software Development Kit (“SDK”) is a set of tools and code provided by a service or platform that is integrated into a Site. In this Notice, we use the terms:

“Session” refers to the period during which a user interacts with a Site (which can end when the user closes their browser or after a specified period of inactivity).

“Personal Information” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable individual. Information collected by Cookies does not always meet the definition of Personal Information, depending on applicable privacy laws.

  • The Types of Cookies We Use

We use Cookies, including Cookies provided by third parties, to improve our Sites, measure the performance of our Sites, understand our audience, enhance the user experience, and to show ads based on browsing habits and activity on the Sites and other Sites.

First-party Cookies are Cookies placed by the Site you are using (for example, by us). Third-party Cookies are Cookies provided by other companies, such as our analytics or advertising partners, and may be placed or accessed through our Sites either on our behalf or for purposes determined by those parties.

The Cookies used on a particular Site are listed in that Site’s Consent Tool.

For ease of understanding, we group Cookies into the following categories:

  • Essential Cookies. These Cookies are necessary for the Site to work properly and cannot be disabled. These Cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility.
  • Functional Cookies. These Cookies enable our Sites to remember choices you make, for example, the language you select, or to enable services, such as viewing videos. These Cookies allow us to tailor the Sites to you and provide enhanced functionality. Without these Cookies, certain functionalities may not be available.
  • Performance Cookies. These Cookies help improve our Site by collecting and reporting information on how you use it. This information enables us to improve site performance, correct any errors, and provide a quality user experience. For instance, it helps us understand how long you spend on the Site and from where you are accessing it. It also helps us see if you have visited our Sites before so we can identify the number of unique users we receive.
  • Advertising Cookies. These Cookies are used to analyze your interests and preferences to show you relevant ads on this Site and other Sites and provide a personalized marketing experience. They may be placed through our Site by third-party data, social media, or advertising companies that we partner with. They can also help us measure and improve advertising campaigns, including by understanding how users interact with ads and marketing content and by creating or using audience segments for advertising or measurement purposes.

We generally ask for your consent to place non-Essential Cookies on our Sites. Click ‘Cookies Details’ under the Cookie names shown for each category in the Cookie Tool to learn more.

Email Trackers

We use Email Trackers in some of the emails we send, such as newsletters, service updates, and other communications where permitted by applicable law. Email Trackers help us understand whether our messages are delivered successfully, whether they are opened or interacted with, and whether there are issues — such as deliverability problems or unusual activity — that require attention.

We use information collected by Email Trackers to:

Essential Cookies

Essential or ‘strictly necessary’ Cookies typically collect technical and session information required for the Site to work properly, such as:

Functional Cookies

Functional Cookies may collect information about:

Performance Cookies

Performance Cookies and collect information that helps us understand how visitors use and interact with our Sites. This may include:

Advertising Cookies

Advertising Cookies can perform the same functions as Analytics Cookies, and they are also used by us and third parties to help show you relevant ads on our Sites and other Sites. They may collect and use additional information related to how you interact with ads and marketing content. This can include:

Cookies of third-party advertising partners on our Sites may permit these partners to combine information collected about you or your device while visiting our Sites with information they obtain from other Sources.

GoogleGoogle and our other advertising partners may independently determine how they use information collected about you or your device by their Cookies on our Sites. See their privacy notices for more information.

We only process Personal Information collected using Cookies and Email Trackers where this is permitted under applicable laws in the country where you are located, and only where we have a legal basis for doing so. Because global privacy laws differ, the legal basis we rely on may vary by jurisdiction and by the type of Cookie or Email Tracker used.

In some countries, consent is required before placing or accessing certain non-essential Cookies or before using certain Email Trackers for functionality, performance, or advertising. In those countries, Mastercard relies on your consent. In other countries, we may rely on additional or alternative legal bases as described below.

Processing Activity Legal Basis for Processing (where required under applicable law)

Using Performance, Functional, and Advertising Cookies to understand how users interact with our Sites, to personalize content, or to measure and improve campaigns. This includes any use of Email Trackers for functionality, performance, or advertising-related purposes where consent is required.

Activities to help the Site to function properly and securely, including supporting registration, authentication, fraud prevention, and login functionalities.

Using Cookies that support system integrity, detect technical issues, or measure deliverability or system performance (including certain Email Trackers used for security, authentication, or deliverability diagnostics).

See our Global Privacy Notice (or if a Site has its own privacy notice, that notice) for details about how we share Personal Information.

  • Your Rights and Choices

You can change your Cookie preferences at any time by using the “Manage Cookies” button (link on some Sites) at the bottom of the Site page. This allows you to withdraw consent or reject all Cookies except those that are strictly necessary for the Site to work properly.

When visiting websites, you may also be able to manage or delete some Cookies through your browser settings. For more information, please consult your browser’s help menu or visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org/.

If you have an account with one of the third-party platforms whose Cookies operate on our Sites, you may be able to adjust how those platforms use data collected from your interactions in your account settings. See the following links for more information:

Please note that if you reject or delete Cookies, some parts of our Sites may not function properly or may become inaccessible.

To learn more about your choices or to exercise your privacy rights, please consult our Global Privacy Notice (or if a Site has its own privacy notice, that notice).

  • Data Transfers

See Section 5 Data Transfers in our Global Privacy Notice (or if a Site has its own privacy notice, the corresponding section in that notice).

  • How We Protect Your Personal Information

See Section 6 How We Protect Your Personal Information in our Global Privacy Notice (or if a Site has its own privacy notice, the corresponding section in that notice).