Better Health for All

Mastercard's principal goods and services, primarily payment processing, have a modest positive health impact by facilitating healthcare payments, offering flexible payment options, and protecting consumers from medical bill fraud, errors, and overcharges.

The company's business model does not involve products with negative health outcomes, and its services do not have direct safety implications for physical or mental health, nor do they carry health risks requiring disclosure. Mastercard does not offer health-related products requiring price accessibility considerations, nor is it a pharmaceutical or food company, or involved in clinical trials or addiction-prone products. Mastercard demonstrates significant positive health externalities and strong engagement in health-related initiatives. It supports programs reaching vulnerable populations, such as an AI-powered assistant supporting over 40,000 community health workers in Ethiopia, serving approximately 75% of the population. The Mastercard Community Pass aims to extend digital access to critical services to 100 million individuals and businesses in Africa by 2034, having already reached 1.2 million smallholder farmers in Uganda. The company significantly strengthens healthcare workforce capacity in underserved areas, with initiatives like the Africa Higher Education Health Collaborative aiming to equip 30,000 health practitioners in Africa. Mastercard also exhibits industry-leading practices in healthcare data responsibility, including secure and ethical data management for health records, using AI to combat identity fraud, and detecting waste in healthcare claims.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

Mastercard demonstrates various initiatives aimed at financial inclusion and economic opportunity. For instance, the company has invested over $511 million in Black communities in the U.S. since 2020.

Its Strive initiative has reached 12 million micro and small businesses. and it has connected 37 million women entrepreneurs. The Community Pass platform registered 5 million users in rural communities by 2023, with a goal of 30 million by 2027. A financial inclusion program in Northern Central America commits $100 million to include 5 million unbanked individuals and digitize 1 million small businesses over five years. Additionally, the Girls4Tech™ curriculum has educated over 8 million girls since 2014. Mastercard also partnered to scale open banking-powered solutions. However, the provided articles do not contain specific, quantifiable data points that directly align with the quantitative thresholds of the scoring rubric's KPIs, which often require percentages of total customers, loan book share, profit reinvestment, or specific measured outcomes like credit score improvements.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

No specific, quantifiable data points were found in the provided articles that directly map to the rubric's thresholds for any of the KPIs under the 'Fair Pay & Worker Respect' ethical value. While details a $26 million settlement in January 2025 to resolve allegations of systemic underpayment affecting 7,500 employees,

the rubric's quantitative thresholds for 'labor_violation_incidents' are structured around a count of minor or multiple incidents, or a specific pay equity ratio, none of which are explicitly provided. Therefore, no KPIs could be scored based on the strict application of the rubric and evidence rules.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

Mastercard, as a global technology company in the payments industry, primarily generates revenue from transaction processing fees and does not procure or trade physical commodities. Consequently, it has no spend on fair-trade certified inputs or high-risk materials. The company's Supplier Code of Conduct is embedded into all supplier agreements, requiring compliance with human rights and labor laws, including the prohibition of forced and child labor, adequate compensation, and safe working conditions.

Mastercard reported no specific substantiated forced or child labor incidents in the last three years. It undertakes proactive risk assessments, including a Human Rights Impact Assessment in 2019 and a Double Materiality Assessment in 2024, and operates a Third-Party Risk Management Program.

Honest & Fair Business

Mastercard maintains a comprehensive whistleblower policy, last revised in April 2023, which applies to all employees, contingent workers, and directors globally.

This policy prohibits retaliation and includes an anonymous ethics helpline administered by a third party. Substantiated reports are included on a written docket and distributed to all members of the Audit Committee prior to each quarterly meeting. The company also has a robust anti-corruption policy within its Code of Conduct, which prohibits bribery and facilitation payments. This policy requires third parties to be appropriately evaluated and monitored, and provides guidelines for business hospitality, meals, and gifts. Mastercard has been aligned with the UN Global Compact on combating corruption since 2018.

Kind to Animals

Mastercard's Priceless Planet Coalition aims to fund the restoration of 100 million trees globally

, with approximately 46 million trees currently under restoration across 22 projects. These initiatives have documented biodiversity impacts, including restoring 180 species in Brazil, 102 in Colombia, and 109 in Mexico , and restoring 210 hectares in the Eastern Himalayas and 165 hectares in Thailand. The Wildlife Impact Card program, launched in May 2021 , aims to conserve 40 million hectares of landscapes and 4.5 million square kilometers of seascapes by 2030. Additionally, in June 2016, Mastercard pledged to discontinue promotions involving captive animals, such as "swim with dolphins" experiences, following discussions with PETA.

No War, No Weapons

Mastercard's core business is in the payments industry, with no evidence of revenue derived from arms or defense contracts. The company is subject to economic sanctions programs, has a compliance program, and has no offices or subsidiaries in Iran or Syria.

Mastercard donated $5 million globally for relief efforts and financial security programs for migrants, which represents approximately 0.015% of its 2025 revenue of $32.791 billion. The company also co-founded the CyberPeace Institute and partnered to digitally transform refugee settlements. Mastercard uses AI for security and efficiency, and highlights the need for robust AI governance, but there is no evidence of AI systems with potential military uses. The board oversees human capital management, including human rights, but there is no specific oversight of defense-related business activities.

Planet-Friendly Business

Mastercard sources 100% of its operational energy from renewable sources, a practice maintained for the eighth consecutive year.

The company's climate targets are validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). , with a verified goal to reach net-zero emissions across its supply chain by 2040. Interim targets for 2025 aimed to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 38% and Scope 3 by 20% from a 2016 baseline, which Mastercard surpassed by 2023, achieving a 48% reduction in direct emissions and a 40% cut in indirect emissions. In 2023, 91% of suppliers, representing 85% of supply chain emissions, disclosed their emissions. Additionally, 71% of Mastercard’s suppliers have committed to their own science-based targets to reduce emissions.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

Mastercard provides global grievance mechanisms, including an independently operated Whistleblower system and a 24/7 Ethics Helpline.

These mechanisms are available to employees, contingent workers, and third parties, ensuring comprehensive coverage for community concerns across all operational sites.

Safe & Smart Tech

Mastercard formed an AI Governance Council in 2023 to oversee AI activities, ensuring alignment with ethical standards and adherence to data protection and privacy by design principles.

The company's 2023 data and technology responsibility principles include Security and Privacy, Transparency, Fairness, and Inclusion, aiming to respect and protect individual rights. Mastercard helped create the PCI Data Security Standard (DSS) and mandates its annual validation for Level 1 service providers and semi-annual reporting for Level 1 and 2 merchants. The company has no documented incidents of unauthorized data use. Mastercard launched AI-powered solutions, including Scam Protect (2026) and Consumer Fraud Risk, which is live in the UK with 10 banks, to identify and prevent scams in real-time. An AI-supported service has doubled the rate of identifying compromised cards. Mastercard also integrated AI into fraud-prediction technology in 2023 to detect compromised cards earlier. The company is a supporting member of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and helped establish its Singapore chapter.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

Mastercard has launched a global credit and debit card recycling program

, currently in a pilot phase with HSBC in eight UK branches , where expired cards are collected, shredded, and repurposed . The company has committed to eliminating first-use PVC plastics from payment cards by 2028 , requiring all newly produced cards to use recycled or bio-sourced materials , which will be subject to third-party certification . Its Sustainable Card Program, launched in 2018 , has resulted in over 168 million cards transitioning to recycled and bio-based inputs . Mastercard also engages in waste reduction through its Greener Payments Partnership with card manufacturers and its Strive initiative , which supports partners in reducing single-use plastic . A Sustainability Innovation Lab focuses on eco-friendly solutions .