Auto Club Introduces Convenient New Way to Give Gifts This Holiday Season
20 December 1999
Auto Club Introduces Convenient New Way to Give Gifts This Holiday Season
LOS ANGELES--Dec. 17, 1999--A new, stored-value card currently being test-marketed by the Automobile Club of Southern California could not only be a welcome gift, but keep holiday shoppers from going over budget.Unlike department store gift cards that may only be used at a particular chain of stores, the AAA MemberOne card, a "stored-value" card, can be used to pay for purchases anywhere a VISA card is accepted and can be used at ATM machines for access to cash. It may be ordered at any of the five participating test locations in Southern California. To assist last minute shoppers, the card can be shipped overnight to the purchaser or the gift recipient the next business day after being ordered.
The card can be reloaded with additional funds at any time at any of the five Auto Club offices. The stored-value card may also be reloaded through the Internet from the purchaser's or recipient's checking or savings account or through a toll-free phone number.
In addition to being functional gifts, AAA MemberOne is designed to allow domestic travelers to gain secure and convenient access to travel funds in the United States. A second card being test-marketed, AAA MemberCash, is targeted to international travelers because it enables them to access cash in local currency at competitive exchange rates.
"Auto Club members are responding positively to the pilot of the new AAA MemberOne and MemberCash cards. We believe members will find that the product will become a successful complement to other payment methods," said Barbara Wilson, financial products manager. The AAA MemberOne card can be used anywhere VISA products are accepted and at over 531,000 ATMs in the VISA Global ATM network.
"MemberOne is also ideal for parents who want to allow older children a specific amount of money to purchase gifts for friends or relatives without the burden of carrying a large amount of cash," added Wilson. "It can also be used to provide college students with expense funds while they are away from home."
The AAA MemberCash card is beneficial to people traveling internationally and enables them to access cash in local currency using competitive conversion rates at more than 531,000 Visa ATMs worldwide. Cardholders can log onto www.visa.com to view, by city and country, VISA ATM locations, Wilson added.
The card is protected by a PIN number and a free back-up card is available to ensure an uninterrupted trip. A MemberCash cardholder can replenish the value of the card by visiting an Auto Club office, or by transferring value from their checking or savings account via a toll-free number or the Internet.
For last-minute holiday shoppers, the AAA MemberCash card is available at the time of purchase at the Auto Club test locations. It may be used to withdraw cash at ATMs or used with a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to make retail purchases at merchant locations which accept Interlink payments.
The AAA MemberCash card and the AAA MemberOne cards are sponsored by Visa and Fleet Boston Corp. The cards are available in the Auto Club's Pasadena, Northridge, Long Beach, Anaheim and Del Mar offices.
The Automobile Club of Southern California, the largest affiliate of AAA, has been serving members since 1900. Today, Auto Club members benefit by the organization's emergency road service, insurance products and services, travel agency, financial products, automotive pricing, buying and financing programs, highway and transportation safety programs and legislative advocacy. Information about these products and services is available on the Auto Club's Web site at www.aaa-calif.com.
