In Defense of Animals launches Debit Card that helps save animals …

In Defense of Animals (IDA), an international, non-profit animal protection organization based in California, announced yesterday that it has partnered with Tempo to offer an affinity debit card, that  empowers contributors to direct their support to save animals worldwide. Every time In Defense of Animals debit cards are used to make a purchase,  IDA will receive a portion of standard card transaction fees. The cards can be used anywhere Debit MasterCard cards are accepted and also provide cash-back and ATM withdrawal access to the cardholders’ existing checking accounts. “It’s a painless, great way to help IDA raise much needed funds for our chimpanzee sanctuary in Cameroon, Africa; our veterinary clinics and ambulance service for the thousands of street animals of Mumbai, India; and for our investigative and sanctuary work in rural Mississippi,” said IDA founder and President Elliot M. Katz, DVM. Tempo technology makes it easy for organizations to offer affinity debit cards and provides a web portal for consumers to apply for and activate cards, as well as track purchases and rewards.  The cards are issued by Tempo partner First Bank & Trust of Brookings, SD, part of Fishback Financial Corporation. “IDA’s affinity Debit MasterCard empowers supporters to link their existing checking accounts to such a noble cause as helping animals,” said Tempo CEO Mike Grossman. “Using software-as-a-service technology, Tempo provides a speedy and cost-effective way to enable this type of affinity program and make it easy for consumers to apply, activate cards and track purchases online.” Tempo-enabled debit cards are affinity partner-branded, generate valuable cardholder rewards, and can be used for online and offline purchases and ATM withdrawals. Working with First Bank & Trust, Tempo manages all aspects of card issuance, including risk management, application processing, card fulfillment, authorization and settlement.