Mastercard Bets on Curated Experiences to Differentiate Premium Cards
Premium cards compete on more than transactions
Premium card differentiation is shifting toward benefits cardholders can use across borders and connect to personal interests. Mastercard is putting dining and travel experiences at the center of that pitch, with its first Asia Pacific Taste by Priceless dining club opening in August at Hong Kong International Airport. The move reflects a broader effort to make a card’s value visible beyond the payment itself: a reward may help win a customer, but an experience can give that customer a reason to keep using the card.
The venue is part of The Mastercard Collection and follows the first Taste by Priceless club at São Paulo’s Guarulhos airport. Ben Gilbey, Mastercard’s senior vice president for consumer products and processing in Asia Pacific, says issuers are looking for premium propositions that feel relevant beyond each transaction. That distinction matters in a market where points, access and discounts can be difficult for customers to compare across multiple cards. A curated venue offers a more tangible story, though its value will depend on whether cardholders can use it conveniently and find the experience worth their time.
Experience as a source of differentiation
Points, cashback and lounge access remain familiar parts of premium cards. Gilbey’s argument is that those features increasingly need to sit alongside experiences that reflect what customers care about. Mastercard research cited by Gilbey found 59 per cent of high-net-worth individuals prefer spending on experiences rather than possessions. That finding supports the direction of the offer, but it doesn’t establish that every affluent customer wants the same experience or that dining benefits alone will drive card choice.
That preference changes the basis of competition as rewards become widespread. Mastercard research also found nearly three in four consumers feel their best when spending time on their passions. Gilbey sees an opportunity for issuers to build relevance around those interests while retaining traditional transactional benefits. The commercial question is whether a program can turn a broad preference for experiences into repeat use, rather than a one-off attraction that looks good in a benefits list.
Dining meets the travel proposition
Mastercard’s 2026 Travel Trendlines research points to travellers placing greater emphasis on making trips personal and meaningful. Dining fits that demand because it can connect visitors with local culture and provide a social part of the journey. Gilbey said the link is particularly strong in Asia Pacific, where travel and food rank among consumers’ leading passions. A meal can make a trip feel specific to its destination, although an airport venue also has to serve travellers working around departure times, connections and limited time on the ground.
Hong Kong offers the combination Mastercard seeks in a location: international connectivity, traveller demand and a distinct local identity. The airport serves as a regional gateway, while the city’s food culture gives the club a local anchor. That pairing gives the proposition a clearer identity than a generic travel reward, but it also puts pressure on the experience to feel connected to Hong Kong rather than interchangeable with a premium lounge. Mastercard plans to open a third Taste by Priceless venue in Mexico City later this year, giving the company another location in which to apply the same broad idea.
Choice for different travellers
Premium customers don’t form a single, uniform segment, Gilbey said. Mastercard Economics Institute data shows Singaporean travellers to Japan direct 38 per cent of their in-destination spending to retail. South Korean visitors spend 45 per cent more at bars than the average traveller to Japan. The figures illustrate different spending patterns within regional travel, though they don’t by themselves show which benefits individual cardholders will use most.
The Hong Kong club reflects that range with two dining formats. The Counter offers a chef-led, multi-course tasting menu; The Cove provides à la carte dining for travellers with less time. This is more significant than it looks: different formats give the offer a chance to fit different schedules and appetites, rather than assuming every customer wants a long, formal meal. Gilbey said issuers need to pair meaningful choice with a consistent standard of quality and service. Choice only helps if both options deliver the experience the card promises.
A benefit that travels with the cardholder
The Mastercard Collection spans dining, entertainment and travel. In Asia Pacific, it provides access to more than 400 award-winning restaurants across 10 markets. Gilbey said issuers are asking for benefits suited to international lifestyles, as cardholders travel more often and spend across markets. For issuers, a benefit that follows a customer across borders can make a premium card feel useful in more than one home market or travel setting, while a collection spread across locations may offer more chances to engage than a single venue.
The Hong Kong club is available to World Legend, World Elite and World Mastercard cardholders, regardless of where their card was issued. That broad eligibility supports Mastercard’s aim to make premium value portable while keeping experiences tied to their destination. If you’re working in this space, the practical test is whether customers can understand what access they have and use it without unnecessary friction. The international reach of a benefit matters less if its terms or availability make it hard to act on.
What the next venues will test
Gilbey expects premium propositions to put more emphasis on curation than on the number of rewards. With consumers already facing a wide array of programs and offers, the differentiating question for issuers may increasingly be whether a benefit earns cardholders’ time and attention. Here’s the thing: a larger catalogue can sound impressive, but a smaller set of well-matched experiences may be easier for customers to remember and use. And yet, curation raises its own bar; the offer has to stay relevant to customers with different interests and travel habits.
Mexico City’s planned club will be another test of that approach. If the model works across different destinations, Mastercard can make the case that premium value can combine a consistent standard with a local character. The company’s research and Gilbey’s comments explain why it sees an opening, but the article doesn’t provide evidence yet on usage or customer response at the Hong Kong venue. The proof will come through how well the offer fits actual trips and whether cardholders return to it. A strong idea, still to be tested.
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