Websites
When referring to a website, give the site’s name rather than the URL. For example, “Google” or “the Mastercard website.” Include an in-text link to the web address.

Alignment
Left-align text in English.

It’s more readable for those with visual impairments. Some people with cognitive differences have difficulty with blocks of text that are justified (aligned to left and right margins). And people who use screen magnifiers may miss text that is not left-aligned.

For translations into languages that run right to left (like Arabic), right-align instead. Read about text alignment in the Brand Expression Guide on the Design Center.

Capitalization
Use sentence case for all headings and job titles. This means only the first word in the sentence is capitalized and all others are lowercase.

Use lowercase for nouns and non-branded descriptive names such as “bank” and “marketing toolkit” and job titles such as “senior vice president.” However, formal titles should be capitalized when they come directly before a name, for example: Chief Sustainability Officer Ellen Jackowski or Chief Product Officer Jorn Lambert. However, when the title is long, we recommend putting the title after the name, for example: Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer. In addition, proper nouns, proper names and names of entities should be capitalized, for example: Maria, Italy, Main Street, or General Electric.

We don’t use block capitals in body text as they're difficult for people to read.

Captions and subtitles
Should be used to aid accessibility. Where possible, upload videos with closed captions (to toggle on or off) and a transcript.

Be generous to your subjects: Don’t caption “um,” “like” or stumbles in their speech.

Write captions as full sentences using capital letters and punctuation.

Currency
Use currency symbols.

Assume $ is U.S. dollars. If you need to specify the country, write US$ for U.S. dollars, AU$ for Australian dollars, CA$ for Canadian dollars, SG$ for Singapore dollars, NZ$ for New Zealand dollars, HK$ for Hong Kong dollars, NT$ for New Taiwan dollars and ZW$ for Zimbabwe dollars.

Dates
Use U.S. format: month day, year. Abbreviate January (Jan.), February (Feb.), August (Aug.), September (Sept.), October (Oct.), November (Nov.) and December (Dec.) when writing the full date. Write the day as a numeral and no suffix (st, nd, rd or th), for example, “Sept. 15, 2022.” Exception: If you are not including the year, spell out the month: Valentine’s Day always falls on February 14.

For days of the week, capitalize the day and spell it out in full, for example, “Monday, Sept. 15, 2022.” If writing the month with no day, don’t use a comma: February 2023.

In pull stats and references, abbreviate the months listed above.

Avoid Q1, Q2, Q3 or Q4 and H1 or H2 in body text. Write “first quarter” or “second half”

Measures
Spell out “miles per hour,” “kilograms,” “transactions per minute” in body text. In pull stats, use lowercase “mph,” “kg.”

Use locally relevant measures, so use “kilometer” for countries in Europe and “miles” for countries such as the U.K. and U.S.

Numbers
Spell out numbers one through nine and use numerals for numbers 10 and higher. But there are exceptions …

Spell out “thousand,” “million,” “billion” and “trillion” in body text, for example: There were 26 million employees.

In pull stats, use lowercase “k” (thousand), “m,” “b” and “t.”

Percentages
Write percentages as numerals and a percentage sign, for example: 56%.

In body text, if the percentage is at the start of a sentence, spell it out as words: Fifty-nine percent. But try to rewrite the sentence to avoid this.

Slashes
Use a forward-leaning slash (oblique) with no space either side: breakfast/lunch optional. But it’s better if you can write “and” or “or” instead.

Spacing
Use only a single space between sentences. Don’t use a space between acronyms, for example “the BBC.”

Text emphasis
Don’t italicize text.

Use bold sparingly. Though it draws the eye, too much makes it difficult for the reader to know what they need to pay most attention to.

You can use bold in technical instructions to tell users which element (for example, a text input or button) to select. For example: Select More, then select Messages.

Do not use bold to emphasize text. To emphasize words or phrases, you can:

• front-load sentences
• use headings
• use bullets

Time
Write times using 12-hour clock. Separate minutes and hours using a colon but for full hours, use just the numeral.

Use a.m. and p.m. with a space to distinguish between morning and afternoon/night, for example: 8 a.m., 10:30 p.m. Use “midnight” or “noon.”

Write time ranges using a dash and no spaces, for example, 6:30-7:30 p.m. or 6-7 p.m.

Use the local time zone, but if the story relates to people or activity in more than one time zone, provide a conversion in brackets using the AP Style acronym, for example: The webinar begins at 9 a.m. (3 a.m. ET).

URLs and email addresses
Write email and web addresses lowercase. Remove https://www.

Write phone numbers using the country code and spaces, for example +44 (0)20 3818 2833

 

Our vision
Mastercard’s vision is to power economies and empower people. Write as: “we power economies and empower people” or “we’re powering economies and empowering people.”

If using this phrase as a sign off, write:

To protect and build equity in this phrase, we must the words carefully and selectively within our message framework.

We power payment flows and capabilities, such as:

• power commerce
• power digital identity
• power remittances
• power open banking

• We empower end users, customers and positive actions, such as:

• empower consumers
• empower small businesses/gig workers/corporations
• empower merchants/retailers
• empower cities/governments/nonprofits
• empower financial institutions/banks/fintechs
• empower more sustainable spending
• empower smarter decision-making

• Secondary vision messaging is: “to create/creating a sustainable world where everyone prospers.”
  

We often refer to specific characters or things. Here are some of the important ones to remember.

Acronyms, initialisms and abbreviations
… are the devil’s doing, but they creep in every now and then.

Here are common ones. If you come across them, spell them out!

Regions

• NAM — North America [markets]
• AP — Asia Pacific
• EEMEA — Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa
• LAC — Latin America and Caribbean
• EUR — Europe

Flows (when used as a modifier, hyphenate: business-to-business payments)

• P2P — person to person (remittances or bill splitting)
• C2B — consumer to business (typically bill payments)
• P2M — person to merchant
• B2C — business to consumer (disbursements or refunds)
• B2B — business to business (supply chain or accounts payable)
• B2G — business to government
• G2C — government to consumer (disbursements)
• G2B — government to business
• G2G — government to government

Products

• RTP — Real-Time Payments (or real-time payments, the descriptive term. Take care!)
• R2P — Request to Pay
• C2P — Click to Pay
• PbA — Pay by Account
• XBS — Cross-Border Services

Business

• MSG — [Mastercard] Strategic Growth
• IMC — Integrated Marketing and Communications
• P&C — People and Capability

Misc.

• SME — small- to medium-sized enterprise (small business)
• XB — cross-border
• MA — Mastercard
• AP — accounts payable
• POS — point of sale

Audiences

• Consumer: Our consumers are people who use Mastercard products and services to make purchases and manage their finances. They are interested in convenience, security and rewards.
• Small business : This refers to a business with less than 50 employees. If you absolutely must abbreviate, use SME, not MSME.
• Gig worker: This efers to an individual who works multiple and/or short-term jobs (or “gigs”), but who isn’t strictly self-employed.
• Government: This refers to a national or city-level administration.
• Lawmakers: These are the government officials who help shape public policy and regulate the financial industry. They are interested in issues related to financial regulation, consumer protection and the overall health of the economy.
• Non-governmental organization or NGO: This refers to a nonprofit institution that’s independent of governmental influence, often organized on a local, national or international level to support the public good.
• Client: Use client to refer to our direct customers — the financial institutions, governments, retailers/commercial entities and fintechs we serve.
• If using “customer,” always be clear or explain whether you’re referring to Mastercard’s customer or our clients’ customer, which could be a consumer, for example, or small business.
• Financial institution: This refers to any business or organization that provides financial services, whether it has a banking license or not (a non-banking financial institution).
• Fintech: These are financial technology firms. You can also refer to them as fintech companies.
• Employees: Our employees are the heart of Mastercard, and they are interested in career growth, corporate culture and social responsibility.
• Investor: Investors are individuals or organizations that invest in Mastercard stock. They are interested in financial performance, growth prospects and strategic vision.
• Merchant: Merchants are businesses that accept Mastercard payments. They are interested in ease of use, cost-effectiveness and security.
• Regulator: Regulators are government agencies that oversee Mastercard's operations and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. They are interested in transparency, compliance and risk management.
• Issuer: A financial institution that issues payment cards or solutions. They are interested in reliability, security and profitability.
• Acquirer: A financial institution that receives (or acquires) payments.
• Biller: A business or other entity that invoices or bills for goods or services. In this context, refer to the consumer, business or government that’s paying the bill as a ”payer.”
• Acquisitions: A company acquired by Mastercard at early stages of their integration. Acquisitions should be referred to as “[acquired company name], a Mastercard company” in the first instance. After that, use the acquired company name only.
• Integration guide coming soon …

Endorsements
We have two “endorsements.” Use must be approved by your legal representative and/or brand.

• Powered by Mastercard
• Secured by Mastercard

Disability

Use “disability” as the broadly accepted and suitable term for someone who has an impairment.

Avoid terms like “differently abled,” “people of determination” or “all access” as they’re euphemistic and can be considered patronizing or offensive.

Use people-first language

People-first language emphasizes the person, not the disability. For example, we can use expressions such as “women with intellectual disabilities” and “people with disabilities.” However, the people-first rule does not necessarily apply to all types of disabilities. There are some exceptions. For example, when referring to people who are blind, it's appropriate to say either “blind people” or “people who are blind.” The same applies to deaf or deafblind people.

If in doubt, ask the person or group how they choose to identify. But remember: People with disabilities are not a homogeneous group and they may self-identify in different ways.

Avoid labels and stereotypes

Avoid labelling people and do not mention a person’s disability or impairment unless it is relevant, particularly in internal communications and emails.

But disability shouldn’t be ignored or made invisible. Openly and respectfully discuss disability-related issues with colleagues and partners and make disability inclusion a priority.

Don’t victimize

The term "victim" should not be used unless strictly relevant. It is inappropriate to say that a person is "a victim of cerebral palsy,” for example. Having cerebral palsy does not make the person a "victim." A victim is a person who has been harmed by an accident, disaster or crime or has been subject to a human rights violation. Victims are often seen as vulnerable and helpless. This underlying perception must be taken into account when using this term in reference to people with disabilities.

Don’t appropriate disability language

Misused terminology can be inappropriate and hurtful, so avoid saying "I must have Alzheimer’s" when you forget something, or "they’re paranoid" when people seem to be acting with excessive mistrust. Never use disability-related terms as an insult or to express criticism. For example, do not use the word "lame" to mean "boring" or "uncool.”

For more information, refer to United Nations’ Disability Inclusive Communications Guidelines. These guidelines were prepared by the United Nations Office at Geneva as part of efforts to implement the U.N. Disability Inclusion Strategy, launched in 2019.

Read more about disability inclusion at Disability:IN

Flows

A “flow” describes the purpose and movement of money between consumers, businesses, governments and non-governmental organizations or institutions.

• Remittance: Consumers paying money to other consumers (P2P), or making payments to themselves (me2me). For example, migrant workers sending money back to their family in their home country or loading funds into a digital wallet.
• Disbursement: Businesses and governments making payments to consumers (B2C/G2C), both domestically and cross-border. For example, gig economy payments, insurance payouts and welfare payments. It can also include low-value payments from businesses and governments to other businesses. For example, Amazon paying merchants.
• Retail payment: Payments between consumers, businesses and governments, covering examples such as store purchases (C2B), salary payments (B2C) and tax payments (B2G).
• Bill payment: Transactions initiated by an invoice sent to consumer (C2B) with an itemized list of products or services provided, plus amount due and due date. For example, utility bills, gym memberships and credit card payments.
• Accounts payable: Businesses or governments making payments to other businesses (B2B/G2B) where there is a trusted relationship for goods and services that are received on credit.

Gender, sex and sexual orientation

When referring to people, use their preferred pronouns (he/him, she/her, they/them). Likewise, use a person’s chosen name (whether they have legally changed it or not).

In general, “female” and “male” are adjectives. “Woman/women,” “man/men” are usually reserved for use as a noun.

Be aware of nuances and pitfalls in the use of “female” that emphasizes biology and reproductive capacity over gender identity. For this reason, “woman/women” is permissible an adjective. We don’t use “womxn.”

Read more in the AP Stylebook (paid).

Use LGBTQ+ as an adjective or umbrella term for the community that includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and/or queer people. Other forms such as LGBTQIA are acceptable if the other letters are explained and appropriate to the context. A, for example, could stand for asexual or ally.

Gender-neutral terms

Where possible, use terms that can apply to any gender. Substitute words or terms that emphasize one gender over another. For example, use “search” instead of “manhunt.” “Business owner” or “businessperson” instead of “businessman.” “Actor” instead of “actress.”

Read more in the AP Stylebook (paid).

Race

Writing about issues involving race calls for thoughtful consideration, precise language, and discussions with others of diverse backgrounds whenever possible about how to frame coverage or what language is most appropriate, accurate and fair.

Avoid broad generalizations and labels; race and ethnicity are one part of a person’s identity. Often, race is an irrelevant factor, and drawing unnecessary attention to someone’s race or ethnicity can be interpreted as bigotry.

“Black” is always capitalized as an adjective in a racial, ethnic or cultural sense: Black people, Black culture, Black colleges. We do not use “BIPOC” or “BAME” unless in quoted speech, in which case we explain what it means.

We do not capitalize “white.”

Use “biracial” and “multi-racial” when clearly relevant, to describe people with more than one racial heritage. Avoid “mixed-race,” which can carry negative connotations, unless a story subject prefers the term.

Use “Latina/Latino” or “Hispanic” per the person’s preference. We don’t use Latinx unless it is in the proper name of an organization or used in a quote.

Do not use racial or heritage labels as a plural noun. Instead, use phrasing such as “Black people,” “Latino teachers,” “Filipino students.” “People of color” is acceptable in broad references to multiple races other than white.

Read more in the AP Stylebook (paid).

Sustainability

Avoid words like “green” or “greener,” which can be perceived as greenwashing. Instead, use “more sustainable …”. If talking about our Carbon Calculator product, use “more informed spending choices …”

Forward-looking statements

Take care with forward-looking statements, such as “will achieve” or “is destined to” in contexts where there may be investor/analyst impacts. Check with your legal representative.

Technical terms

• Cyber: All terms referring to the cyber realm of computers and computer networks, such as cyberattack, cybercrime, cybercriminal, cyberdefense, cybersecurity, are spelled as one word, with the exception of “cyber risk,” “cyber shopping” and “cyber threat.”
• Digital assets: Mastercard refers to electronic-only forms of value as "digital assets." Examples:
• cryptocurrencies
• stablecoins
• central bank digital currencies (CBDCs)
• non-fungible tokens (NFTs)

Room 101

The following words should be avoided. There’s often a friendlier and more meaningful alternative.

• utilize → use
• leverage → use
• facilitate → allow
• in order to → to
• require → need
• ensure → make sure
• obtain → get
• incremental → growing or increasing
• mitigate/mitigating → manage or reduce

Alt text is a written description of an image published online or in digital documents (PDFs, Word documents, Google docs, presentations) to help people with visual disabilities understand pictures and other graphical content.

Alt text allows visual content to be accessible to people who are blind, have low vision or have certain cognitive disabilities. Visually impaired people typically use software called a screen reader to access digital displays. The screen reader "reads" the text on the screen and outputs it to a synthetic voice or refreshable Braille display. When a screen reader encounters an image, it’s unable to “read” it. So instead, it looks for the alt text — a description of the image embedded in the code — as a non-visual alternative.

It’s good practice to add alt text for all non-decorative images.

When writing alt text, think “How would I describe this image to someone with low or no vision?” Describe the subject and the setting. Remember: Diversity matters, so be specific (but not assumptive) about what you see.

Describe their actions or interactions and include context where it’s needed to get the message across. Think: What’s relevant in context of the message I'm trying to convey for my audience to know?

Include any image text in alt text but try to avoid repeating yourself. Don’t include “image of...” or “photo of...”.

Keep it short and sweet.

Example 1
A male office worker checks his smartphone while waiting on an empty train platform.

Example 2
An Asian woman wearing a kimono walks through a bamboo forest holding a red oil-paper umbrella..

Alt Text in Microsoft Office
You can create alternative text (alt text) for shapes, pictures, charts, SmartArt graphics, or other objects in your Microsoft Office 365 applications: PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Outlook and more.

To add or edit alt text, right-click the object, select Edit Alt Text, and type a description.

Or select an object. In the ribbon, select the object's Format tab, and then select Alt Text.

In the alt text pane, you can also select Generate a description for me to have Microsoft cloud-powered intelligent services create a description. You see the result in the alt text field. Remember to delete notes such as "Description automatically generated."

If your visuals are purely decorative and add visual interest but aren't informative, you can label them as such without needing to write any alt text. Just click the Mark as decorative check box.

You can set (or unset) Word and PowerPoint to add automatically generated alt text to all images. Select Accessibility, and then select or unselect the Automatically generate alt text for me checkbox.

For audio and video content, in addition to alt text, include closed captioning for people who are deaf or have limited hearing.

• For Microsoft guidance on alt text, go to Everything you need to know to write effective alt text or ask for help in your Office application.

Many web platforms will offer auto generated alt text — Facebook, Instagram, Drupal come to mind). iPhone can also provide auto alt text, but always check for accuracy.

More alt text resources:

• alt-text-as-poetry.net
• poet.diagramcenter.org
• w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images

Q. Is it “help” or “help to”?
A. Ah, the bare infinitive. Both “help” and “help to” are correct. You might find one creates a better rhythm than the other depending on where you want to apply the stress in your sentence, for example “Our solutions help banks digitize their operations …” or “We’re helping to pioneer solutions that power economies …”

Q. Should I use ‘that’ or ‘which’?
A. This one foils the best of us. Use “that” if the phrase limits or specifies what you’re talking about, for example “The team that has 12 members is located in London.” Use “which” (after a comma) if the phrase simply adds more detail, for example “The team, which has 12 members, is located in London.”

Q. Can I start a sentence with “but,” “and” or “because”?
A. Yes! And do. Because starting a sentence with a conjunction implies spontaneity, conviction and a forward-thinking tone of voice. But do so sparingly as it can make your writing a little erratic. Always write in full phrases or sentences.

Q. Help, I think I use too many exclamation marks!
A. One is likely too many. Remember, you’re not writing anything sensational; you don’t need to yell. You can portray excitement and enthusiasm without being frivolous.

Q. Fewer vs. less
A. Come on, you know this. “Fewer” is for quantitative measures, such as a number or percentage (“There were fewer transactions”). “Less” is for qualitative measures, such as “It took less effort than expected.”

Q. What about “have” and “got”?
A. Generally speaking, both “you’ve got” and “you have” (or “she’s got” and “she has”) are fine. Like for “help” vs. “help to” above, think about where you want to give stress in your sentence and use whichever creates the right rhythm.

Q. “Whilst” or “while”?
A. Sorry, which era are we in? It’s not the 18th century. Use “while” as the more contemporary usage. Likewise, use “among” and “amid.” Ditch the -st.

Q. An example, like ?
A. “Like” is a common synonym for “such as” but it’s a very colloquial term, so probably best saved for consumer-facing writing rather than communicating with clients and media.

Q. What’s all this about split infinitives?
A. A split infinitive is when you split “to” and the verb, such as “to suddenly go” or “to quickly read.” Avoid them if you can (“to go suddenly” and “to read quickly”), but it’s not the end of the word if you can’t.

Q. “Please contact us”
A. We’re not desperate, so don’t beg. Ditching the “please” makes for a stronger call to action “Contact us,” which is more likely to get a response.

Q. Is it “white paper” or “whitepaper”?
A. White paper, two words!

Q. Is it “COVID-19,” “covid” or something else?
A. COVID-19.