Mastercard & UniCredit launch touch cards for visually impaired

By Gloria Methri

UniCredit is upgrading all its debit, credit and prepaid cards to Mastercard Touch Card™, which includes features for visually challenged people, making it more accessible.

Cards with this new feature will first be available in Italy and gradually introduced throughout 2024 to all clients in the 12 countries where the bank operates, covering some 20 million cards.

The Mastercard Touch Card™ design is based on a system of side notches to help consumers identify the right card by touch alone. The distinct notch helps visually impaired customers differentiate between their payment cards.

The card is designed to increase independence for people with visual impairments while making online or in-store payments with their cards. In Europe, it is estimated that there are over 30 million blind and partially sighted people. An average of 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss.

Alberto Palombi, Head of Group Payment Solutions at UniCredit, said, “Our partnership, combining UniCredit’s network of European banks and innovation with Mastercard’s expertise in card payments, is enabling us to provide a simple, seamless experience for all our European customers that is also inclusive and achieved sustainably. Empowering our communities means ensuring that everyone has access to the financial tools they need. This is why we are pleased to announce the integration of notches into our cards for blind and partially sighted customers, which have also been made using certified sustainable materials. Banks have a key role to play in shaping a better world, and this is another way that we wish to show our customers that we are there to support them.”

“Inclusion lies at the core of Mastercard’s values, and Mastercard Touch Card™ exemplifies our commitment to standards in payment cards, promoting inclusivity. We are delighted to work with an esteemed partner like UniCredit to deliver consumer-centric solutions that enhance accessibility for all,” said Mark Barnett, President of Mastercard Europe.