As the need for economic relief and assistance continues to grow around the world, so do the complexities and challenges in meeting those needs. Mastercard and Oracle hope to change that through the launch of an automated, end-to-end solution to help governments, non-profits and financial services firms streamline the delivery of economic assistance around the world.

The new integrated Oracle and Mastercard solution automates the process of helping those in need—from determining program eligibility to the accurate and timely distribution of funds, in turn removing inefficiencies, reducing operational costs, and enhancing fraud prevention.

The Mastercard and Oracle solution offers several key features that meet the disbursement needs of many financial assistance programs:

• Eligibility Determination: Sophisticated rules-driven eligibility determination and payment calculations capabilities are established by Oracle Service.
• Eligibility Verification: Interactive wizards, secure digital uploads and video conferencing allow constituents to confirm the documentation and steps required to verify eligibility, and to prove that they meet requirements in the absence of in-person interactions amid the pandemic.
• Application Process: A digital, rules-driven application process for benefit programs is accessible anywhere, anytime.
• Online Access: Online and mobile self-service portals deliver highly personalized and automated advice.
• Funds Access: Providing choice, flexibility and convenience, recipients can select their preferred payment method, whether through virtual or physical prepaid cards or to their debit cards via Mastercard Send, which facilitates near real-time* push to card payments backed by the network security of Mastercard’s debit technologies.

In 2020, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti launched the Angeleno Card Program in partnership with the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles to provide direct financial assistance to families hit hardest by the pandemic. The City worked with Mastercard and Oracle on a solution to streamline the verification and eligibility of people applying for support, and in three months, the program distributed more than 35,000 cards to households across Los Angeles, serving more than 100,000 people with over $36 million in direct financial assistance. Following the success of the initial pilot, Mastercard and Oracle are now working to replicate the solution in other cities across the United States and around the world. 

“We empathize with the complex challenges faced by governments mobilizing to deliver relief in a timely fashion,” said Rob Tarkoff, executive vice president, Oracle Advertising and Customer Experience. “By joining forces with Mastercard, we are bringing together decades of public sector expertise, Oracle’s powerful, automated self-service, eligibility and case management capabilities and Mastercard’s innovations in digital payments. The result is that it is now easier than ever for governments to prioritize scarce funds and bring immediate assistance to those who need it most.”

“The pandemic has underscored the need for governments and organizations to streamline and digitize the disbursement process to ensure that qualifying residents receive relief payments quickly and securely,” said Miguel Gamino, executive vice president, Enterprise Partnerships and Head of Global Cities at Mastercard. “By pairing our secure and innovative solutions with Oracle, we can enable economic assistance programs at scale and deliver payment solutions that are both cost-effective and fast, in turn supporting those in need.”