BETHESDA, Maryland, December 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- Improved Benefits include faster earning opportunities for Marriott Rewards points

Marriott Rewards^® has launched a new, improved credit card that gives customers the chance to earn Marriott Rewards points faster and enjoy a host of additional benefits.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110707/PH31600LOGO )

The new World™ MasterCard® credit card from Marriott Rewards, the loyalty division of international hotel company Marriott International, Inc., has been launched in partnership with Creation, part of LaSer UK, and MasterCard. It offers Marriott Rewards points on all purchases and 0% on balance transfers for 12 months (on balances transferred within 90 days of account opening).

Customers can earn 10,000 Marriott Rewards bonus points for spending 200 pounds Sterling or more within their first six months as a cardholder, along with two Marriott Rewards points for every 1 pound spent at any of more than 3,500 Marriott International hotels and one point for every 1 pound spent elsewhere. Marriott Rewards points are even doubled on purchases made abroad and can be redeemed for free hotel stays, leisure breaks, airline miles, merchandise and upgrades. The card has a representative APR of 16.9% variable.

"We are excited to offer our UK Marriott Rewards members a credit card that allows them to earn points faster.  We know our members look for a card that will provide them with the greatest value and the Marriott Rewards MasterCard from LaSer UK is designed specifically for them," said Ed French, senior vice president, Marriott Rewards.

The card is provided by Creation, part of LaSer UK, a leading provider of loyalty and finance services including cards and retail finance products.

Stephen Hunt, CEO, LaSer UK comments: "This improved card from a prestigious global brand offers better rewards for frequent travellers with a host of benefits. We are delighted to be able to provide such a strong card offer for Marriott Rewards and to expand our strong portfolio of co-branded affinity cards."

Hany Fam, President of MasterCard UK & Ireland, added:  "We're delighted to be working in partnership with Marriott Rewards and LaSer UK to deliver tailored benefits through the World MasterCard platform, to enhance Marriott Rewards members' everyday spending. These frequent travellers will also appreciate the fact that no comparable card is as widely accepted as World MasterCard, which can be used at nearly 33 million locations worldwide."

More information about the card can be found at http://www.MarriottRewardsCreditCard.co.uk.   

Notes for Editors:

About Creation

Creation, part of LaSer UK works with nationally recognised business partners including high street retailers and football clubs to provide a range of loyalty, finance and credit solutions including credit cards, store cards and point of sale finance.

The Creation group of companies is made up of Creation Financial Services Ltd, Creation Consumer Finance Ltd and Sygma Bank UK - delivering great benefits and added value to customers.

The company has developed 40 years experience of working with UK consumers and currently manages more than 4 million customers and over 200 UK partnerships, financing over 1.4 billion pounds in credit per annum. Its operations are UK based with operational centres in Solihull and Belfast and its clients include Flybe, Everton FC, Selfridges & Co, M&Co, All Saints, Dell, Dixons Retail, DFS, ScS, Dreams, Sharps,  Sony and Ultralase.

Visit http://www.creation.co.uk 

For more information on LaSer UK go to http://www.laseruk.com

About Marriott Rewards^®

Marriott Rewards is free to join. The program has no blackout dates and members can earn and redeem points at more than 3,500 Marriott® International hotels around the world. Members may also choose to earn airline miles or redeem points for miles with more than 30 airline mileage programs. In addition to hotels and frequent flyer miles, members can also redeem points for merchandise, cruises, car rentals and more. 

Marriott Rewards won the 2011 and 2010 Frequent Travel Award and 2009 Freddie Award for "Best Hotel Rewards Program," and has been named best hotel rewards program by the readers of Business Traveler, Global Traveler, Executive Travel and BusinessWeek magazines.

For more information visit http://www.MarriottRewards.co.uk

About MasterCard Worldwide

MasterCard (NYSE: MA) is a global payments and technology company.  It operates the world's fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard's products and solutions make everyday commerce activities -- such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances -- easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Learn more at http://www.mastercard.com, follow us on Twitter @mastercardnews or join the conversation on The Heart of Commerce Blog.

MasterCard® is a registered trademark of MasterCard International Incorporated

SOURCE Marriott International, Inc.