Pick a Card

Looking for a little more gift-giving cachet than you'll get passing out logo-embossed tchotchkes to clients? Under a new program by MasterCard, entrepreneurs can put their logos on something guaranteed to please: a prepaid gift card.

Available in denominations ranging from $10 to $500 and good wherever MasterCard is accepted, the cards are mailed directly to recipients within five days of their order placement. "The feedback we've gotten is that it's a convenient, effective branding tool for small businesses," says Bruno Perreault, the group head of global small business and mid-size enterprises at Master-Card Worldwide. The cards can be designed, ordered and shipped at www.mastercardgiftcard.com.

Under an introductory program available only to individuals using their MasterCard BusinessCards, business owners pay a setup fee of $99 (in addition to the cards' dollar value) for an unlimited number of cards; the 3 percent load fee is waived on the first $10,000 worth of cards purchased. In addition to adding a logo, businesses can personalize the front of the card to include a recipient's name and a customized embossed message. Says Perreault, "It enables businesses to give something their employees and customers will really appreciate: the gift of choice."

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Jennifer Pellet is a freelance writer specializing in business and finance.