Building a Partnership that Powers Secure, Frictionless and Rewarding Payments for Gamers

Today Mastercard and global video game commerce company Xsolla announced plans to collaborate on frictionless, secure, and rewarding payments for gamers — from enhanced checkout experiences using credit card loyalty points¹ to simple in-game currency gifting to improved creator payout processes and more. The partnership will combine Mastercard's technology, network-level expertise, global scale, and trusted connections with Xsolla's platform to create customizable and more accessible payment experiences for players, developers, and creators.

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Mobile devices have been fueling gaming growth among all demographics and regions, with nearly 3.2 billion people — nearly half the world's population — estimated to have played games in 2022. But the digital commerce experiences that fuel developers' innovation in gaming have not kept pace with the growth. More than 40% of consumers say they need help to buy in-game currency, and more than 30% say it takes too many steps to make online gaming purchases. Nearly 30% say the gifting process could be more efficient, according to Mastercard research.²

Mastercard and Xsolla will work together to enable innovative card and account-based solutions and services to improve digital experiences in payments and beyond for gamers. To kickstart this game-changing partnership, for the first time, Mastercard cardholders will be able to use Pay with Points to seamlessly redeem their loyalty points for in-game purchases — this solution will be integrated into Xsolla's Pay Station product. Players will also have the opportunity to gift in-game currency to friends and family. The companies are partnering to solve challenges in the gaming industry and prioritize consumer protections, including using Mastercard’s authentication and fraud detection capabilities to give parents control before their child makes in-game purchases.

"Mastercard has been a strong supporter of the gaming community for many years — we look forward to further enabling cardholders to tap into their passions through this new partnership with Xsolla and shape the future of commerce in gaming," said Blake Rosenthal, Executive Vice President, Fintech Solutions at Mastercard. "As mobile devices increase the accessibility of video games, a rewarding, best-in-class digital experience is essential to fostering a loyal gaming community and building a payments ecosystem that provides choice across platforms and dimensions."

"The partnership with Mastercard is a testament to our commitment to continuously innovate for the benefit of developers and all players around the world," said Berkley Egenes, Chief Marketing Officer at Xsolla. “By combining Xsolla’s Payments Solution with Mastercard's loyalty capabilities, cyber solutions and card and account-based payments technology, we can create new avenues for revenue creation and increased lifetime value for developers. We are excited to take this giant step forward in creating a better and more inclusive gaming experience for everyone."

Players will have the option to redeem loyalty points from Mastercard’s participating partners for in-game purchases later this year. Xsolla and Mastercard will demonstrate the Pay with Points solution at the 2023 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco from March 21-24, 2023.

To learn about the Pay with Points solution, visit https://xsolla.pro/rw14pwp.

For more information on Mastercard's gaming solutions, please visit mastercard.com/gaming.

About Xsolla

Xsolla is a global video game commerce company with a robust and powerful set of tools and services designed specifically for the video game industry. Since its founding in 2005, Xsolla has helped thousands of game developers and publishers of all sizes fund, market, launch and monetize their games globally and across multiple platforms. As an innovative leader in game commerce, Xsolla’s mission is to solve the inherent complexities of global distribution, marketing, and monetization to help our partners reach more geographies, generate more revenue and create relationships with gamers worldwide. Headquartered and incorporated in Los Angeles, California, with offices in Berlin, Seoul, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, and cities around the world, Xsolla supports major gaming titles like Valve, Twitch, Roblox, Ubisoft, Epic Games, Take-Two, KRAFTON, Nexters, NetEase, Playstudios, Playrix, miHoYo, and more.

For additional information and to learn more, please visit: xsolla.com

About Mastercard

Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all. www.mastercard.com

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1</sup> From participating merchants and issuers

² Mastercard Proprietary Gamer Profile & Payments Attitudes Study, Q1 2022

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