Consumers Now Have Ability to Hail – And Pay – for a Cab Ride with Their Mobile Phone

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Mar. 12, 2010 – Heineken USA today announced an agreement with Taxi Magic to help consumers easily book and pay for a safe taxi ride home after an evening out with friends. In the agreement, Heineken USA and its portfolio of Dutch, Mexican and English brands become the exclusive alcohol beverage sponsor of the Taxi Magic application.

Taxi Magic, an application developed by RideCharge, is the first nationwide free online taxi booking service that is directly integrated with taxi dispatch systems. With Taxi Magic, consumers get the convenience of online booking from the Web or their mobile phone, plus the ability to track the arrival of their taxi.

“Heineken USA continually focuses on driving innovation to deliver a world-class experience to consumers,” said Christian McMahan, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Heineken USA. “Now, we’re taking advantage of technological advances from Taxi Magic to modernize and revolutionize how consumers call cabs, in essence, making their responsible choices cool and simple. As consumers continue to spend more time online and on their phone, we felt is was important to bring our long-standing commitment to responsibility to the mobile lifestyle.”

Calling A Cab Becomes Easier – And More Reliable
With the Heineken USA-sponsored Taxi Magic application, consumers can order a taxi online directly through the dispatch system, having more control over the designated driver process and eliminating any hold times. In addition to the automated, personally-managed reservation process, consumers can track the status of their taxi en route, with the application highlighting the car number and driver’s name, providing an additional level of assurance.

“We’re excited to join with Heineken USA and support their responsibility efforts,” said Tim Csontos, vice president of business development, Taxi Magic. “Through Heineken USA’s sponsorship and brand experiences, we’ll have the ability to raise further awareness of our cutting edge technology and provide this unique service to even more consumers.”

The application also can provide fare estimates and allows mobile payment with a credit card, keeping the card in the consumer’s wallet and eliminating the need to stop at an ATM.

Taxi Magic offers taxi ride solutions in virtually every city and airport nationwide. In larger cities like New York, private car companies have been identified and are offered at a competitive price alternative to yellow cabs that do not accept electronic reservations due to local regulations.

Consumers can use Taxi Magic from any mobile phone or computer.  The application can be downloaded free of charge from the Apple iPhone App Store or BlackBerry App World. For consumers without smartphones, the service is available via SMS by texting the pick-up address to 571-232-1430 or via the Taxi Magic website.

“We believe Taxi Magic is the right partner to bring our responsibility activities to the next level,” said Dan Tearno, senior vice president and chief corporate relations officer, Heineken USA. “As a leading alcohol beverage company, Heineken USA has an important role to play in identifying solutions to issues associated with alcohol consumption. This enhanced service is a powerful option to encourage responsible drinking by empowering and simplifying the designated driver process for our consumers. We look forward to incorporating Taxi Magic into our branded events and experiences.”

Ongoing Focus on Responsible Consumption
Heineken USA has long been recognized for the heritage, quality and integrity of its products.  That commitment to integrity extends beyond its products to its focus on giving back to the communities where its employees live and work and where its products are enjoyed. Chief among Heineken USA’s corporate citizenship pillars is its firm commitment to encouraging the responsible consumption of beverage alcohol.

Among other distinctions, it was the first brewer in the world to place a responsibility message on all of its bottles and cans. Heineken USA was also the first alcohol company to place a responsibility message on all of its TV, radio and print advertising.