Jul 27, 2012, 12:30pm

Chicagoans now have a new one-stop source to access reservations at top restaurants, first-class shopping experiences and some of the best seats at sporting events through today’s launch of MasterCard Priceless Chicago.

Chicago is the second city in the United States to roll out a Priceless Cities program, designed to bring consumers closer to their passions – dining, sports, shopping, arts and entertainment, and travel – through exclusive experiences and privileged access throughout the Chicagoland area.

Launched in summer 2011 in New York, Priceless Cities has since been extended to London, Toronto and Beijing, among other metropolitan areas, to give cardholders new ways to discover some of the world’s global destinations.

“Priceless Chicago was designed to celebrate the best Chicago has to offer from the city’s unique mix of skyscrapers, beaches and neighborhoods to cosmopolitan fare and local traditions,” said Cheryl Guerin, senior vice president, U.S. Marketing, MasterCard. “From the North Side to the South Side to the lakefront, we’re working with our partners to bring Chicagoans and visitors to the city some one-of-a kind experiences through the Priceless Chicago program.”

Initial partners in Priceless Chicago include Chicago Bears, Chicago Cubs, Gilt City and The Magnificent Mile, among others. Each partner will offer a variety of priceless experiences to MasterCard cardholders throughout the year, including:

• Opportunities to have lunch with a current Chicago Cubs player or participate in pre-game batting practice activities
• One of kind dining offers at some of Chicago’s most popular restaurants including Spiaggia, The Signature Room at the 95^th, Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush, Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse
• Gilt City offers for coveted Chicago culinary experiences including a prefix vault dinner for two at The Bedford and a special Omakase 10-course chef's dinner for six with sake and wine pairings at Arami
• Explore American Girl Place® during private shopping hours and learn the inspiration behind the stories from award-winning American Girl author, Mary Casanova, over brunch
• Unique access to the annual Magnificent Mile Shopping Festival presented by MasterCard®, the country’s only shopping festival, returning August 24 – September 6
• A day of pampering at Neiman Marcus with their Beauty Indulgence package, which includes a facial, skin and make-up consultation, personal shopper and lunch
• The opportunity to play a flag football game at Halas Hall and meet Chicago Bears players and coaches
• Special rates and packages and complimentary upgrades at a variety of Chicago hotels including The Peninsula Chicago and Trump International Hotel & Tower

Chicagoans can stay in the loop on Priceless Chicago access and experiences, including how to book, reserve and purchase offers, by visiting www.priceless.com/chicago or www.facebook.com/MasterCard.

“In preparing this program, we worked to understand what is unique about Chicago,” said Guerin. “The result should be programs and offers that help both the local and visitor celebrate some of the priceless moments in their daily lives.”

The program is supported by a fully integrated marketing communications platform that encompasses a wide-reaching media campaign across print, out of home, radio and digital platforms.

Other Priceless Cities will be launched in the coming months to enable further Priceless consumer experiences across the globe.

About MasterCard

MasterCard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, 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. Follow us on Twitter @MasterCardNews, join the discussion on the Cashless Conversations Blog and subscribe for the latest news.