Gilt City will present registered users of MasterCard’s Priceless Cities program with a range of exclusive, limited-time offers such as meet-and-greet sessions with artists, opening night tickets to plays and concerts and a seat at a chef’s table at a coveted restaurant.

“MasterCard launched Priceless New York in the summer of 2011,” said Cheryl Guerin, senior vice president of marketing at MasterCard. “From there, it expanded to Toronto, London and Beijing. Priceless Cities is an evolution of our brand promise from celebrating priceless moments to enabling priceless experiences.

“Before committing to a city, MasterCard spends time truly understanding and customizing our program for that particular city,” she said.

“We want to ensure that the city offers opportunities to bring our cardholders closer to their passions – arts and entertainment, culinary experiences, shopping, sports and travel.”

A subsidiary of Gilt Groupe, Inc., Gilt City provides access to unique and curated lifestyle experiences in various cities, including New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

MasterCard is a global payments and technology company.

Exclusive offers
According to Gilt City, this campaign brings MasterCard cardholders closer to their favorite events, concerts and restaurants.

More payments companies such as MasterCard, American Express and Visa are partnering with marketers including Gilt City and foursquare to offer cardholders exclusive offers and discounts.

A campaign such as this is a great way for both Gilt City and MasterCard to connect with consumers on a deeper level.

“We are getting the word out to consumers and potential partners through an integrated marketing approach,” Ms. Guerin said.

“In the future look for Gilt City to potentially participate in press, advertising and marketing campaigns as we introduce new U.S. Priceless Cities  in the coming months, including our launch of Priceless Chicago today,” she said.

Mobile offers
Gilt City has been building up its presence in the mobile space for a while now.

Last year, Gilt City, LivingSocial and BuyWithMe partnered with foursquare to let businesses and local merchants better connect with new and loyal consumers in their area.

Consumers could access deals – called specials – directly through the app’s explore tab (see story).

Additionally, in October, Google Offers teamed up with Gilt City to offer its subscribers weekly deals on the company’s Web site, mobile app and email distribution list (see story).

“The lines between online and offline are blurring,” Ms. Guerin said. “Consumers want to shop, communicate with friends, manage their finances and organize their lives through whichever device they happen to be on – laptop, tablet or mobile phone.

“MasterCard believes in a multichannel approach for interacting with its cardholders,” she said. “Mobile is an important and powerful channel in our strategy.”

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York