Bank One has teamed up with Visa and The Walt Disney Company to roll out a new Disney-branded credit card, which can earn reward points on a range of Disney merchandise, including theme park vacations.
The alliance between Bank One, Visa and The Walt Disney Company covers joint marketing opportunities across Disney's various business units. As part of the agreement, Visa will continue to be a major advertiser on Disney’s media properties, such as ABC Television Network, ESPN, ABC Family, SoapNet and ABC Radio Networks.
The card and marketing initiatives are expected to be launched in the first half of 2003.
The Disney-branded Visa card with Disney rewards, to be issued and managed by Bank One’s credit card subsidiary, will have global acceptance like all Visa cards and enable consumers to earn rewards that may be used to purchase Disney theme park vacations, videos and other Disney-related merchandise, say the companies.
Carl Pascarella, president and CEO of Visa USA, says: “This strategic alliance allows Visa to help its member banks and merchants reach a key demographic - families - in new and entertaining ways. We expect this alliance to do for us through entertainment what the Olympic Games have done for us through sport: create unrivaled benefits for our membership.”
Initially, the card will be offered only in the US, and The Walt Disney Company will promote and reward its usage through its domestic businesses. Customers may accrue rewards from all purchases on the card at any of Visa’s 24 million acceptance locations worldwide. Monthly statements will provide special Disney promotions for card members, and the latest Disney news and updates on rewards earned.