via flickr's hereinvannuys

Called MasterCard Nearby, a mobile marketing program lets cardholders use their cell phones to find the nearest ATMs when in the U.S., Canada, Australia and much of Europe, writes AdWeek.

Unveiled Monday, the program positions the credit card brand as more convenient and digitally sophisticated than its rivals. All U.S. cardholders with a web-enabled phone are eligible to sign up through a microsite, mcnearby.com. The program was developed in partnership with Irvine-based go2, a mobile, local search and content network.

Marketing experts say U.S. consumers are skeptical about mobile ads, so companies using mobile must seek ways be useful while promoting their brands.

MasterCard is leveraging mobile phones in other ways. It has already conducted a test in New York's subway system, allowing riders to tap their phones on a digital reader rather than using standard fare cards.

MasterCard has also said it is working to enable person-to-person cross-border money transfers via mobile phones, similar to a program in Kenya.