Program Streamlines MasterCard(R) PayPass(TM) Contactless Payment Card Issuance

CPI Card Group, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has developed a new contactless payment card "Kick Start" initiative for first-time MasterCard(R) PayPass(TM) issuers. This program is being offered in order to encourage issuers to commit to their first deployment of PayPass in 2007. Issuers who place their first orders for PayPass-enabled cards before the end of Q2 will receive substantial pricing discounts. The program will feature cards manufactured by CPI using INSIDE Contactless' MicroPass L4-2G platform with a Smartrac half-size antenna.

Specifically, MasterCard issuers will benefit from lower per card costs, and will receive technical support to make sure their first deployment of PayPass is positive. CPI contactless bank cards are delivered with the quality and responsiveness that CPI has been know for, and contain core contactless technology designed to provide the most reliable cardholder experience available in the industry.

"CPI Card Group is today offering best-in-class, cost effective contactless bank card manufacturing for MasterCard PayPass issuers and is enhanced through the features of this program. We are confident that this program will lower the barrier for MasterCard issuers to enter into contactless bank card issuance," states Bob Clarke, Executive Vice President of CPI Card Group Inc.

Not only will issuers benefit from the lower cost per card, they will receive program deployment support for initial and follow-on deployments from CPI. The special considerations associated with the program, offered by CPI, are for commitments received prior to June 30, 2007. Details of the program are available directly from CPI Card Group.

Cathleen Conforti, Senior Vice President of Global PayPass for MasterCard Worldwide comments: "This kind of initiative from the MasterCard PayPass vendor community helps our issuers to deploy PayPass faster and more efficiently. We welcome such programs as a way to increase the accessibility of contactless bank card issuance to all MasterCard Issuers."

"The MicroPass platform is the ideal platform for MasterCard PayPass, because it ensures a fast and reliable card holder experience," states Didier Serra, INSIDE Contactless' General Manager and Executive Vice President of Sales for North America. "We've had a longstanding and successful relationship with CPI, and we are pleased that they have decided to use MicroPass as the basis for this program with MasterCard issuers."

About CPI Card Group

CPI Card Group, Inc. is an award-winning manufacturer of plastic cards. Twenty years of experience in the industry and commitment to technology enables customers to tap into leading-edge programs of the highest quality. With the capacity to produce over one billion cards a year, capabilities include standard, contactless, foil, textured, scented and translucent card production. CPI offers a full catalog of card services including personalization, fulfillment and distribution. All facilities are outfitted with the latest in card technology and are ISO 9001:2000 certified.

Source: CPI Card Group, Inc.