The last four decades have seen a remarkable transformation in how people and businesses over the world pay for the goods and services they need. The rise of the electronic payments industry has helped economic growth transcend borders, bringing benefits to every corner of the world. From the earliest days of credit cards to the contactless and wireless payment options of today, Mastercard Worldwide has led the industry in driving this evolution. MasterCard enables the transactions that are at the heart of commerce, and brings insight into the payments process to make commerce easier, faster, more seamless, more meaningful, more secure, and more valuable to everyone involved.

The MasterCard story begins in 1966 when a group of banks created a member-owned association that later became Mastercard. In 1968 the company extended its presence to Mexico, Japan and Europe, marking the start of its commitment to becoming the leading global payments network.

At Mastercard International in 3 Fraser Street, #16-00, DUO Tower, Singapore 189352 (Tel:+65 639006962) the certification activities for Card Quality Management, contactless PayPass program and others are coordinated.

COCASO's long lasting relationship to the Mastercard organization originated in 1998, when the european branch in Waterloo (near Brussels, Belgium) was still named Europay. Developing the CQM scheme to its actual edition, we have been working together with Mastercard for the latest version of the specification.

In September 2009 Mastercard externalized the operational business for the CQM activities to the Smart Consulting group.

www.mastercard.com or email to cqm@smart-consulting.com