UniCredit switches to Mastercard Touch Card™ with accessibility features for blind and partially sighted people
- Pan-European bank is the first banking group to launch the card at scale in 12 markets and across all products
As part of its partnership with Mastercard, UniCredit is upgrading all its debit, credit and pre-paid cards to Mastercard Touch Card™, which includes features for blind and partially sighted people, making it more accessible.
Cards with this new feature are now available in Italy and will be gradually introduced over the course of 2024 to all clients in the twelve 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.
Inclusion is an integral part of UniCredit's culture and social strategy, and this initiative underscores the bank´s commitment to fostering a more inclusive, barrier-free society.
In line with the bank’s ESG principles, the card is also made from recycled PVC, with each product imprinted with a Mastercard Sustainable Card Badge, certifying its sustainability credentials.
Alberto Palombi, Head of Group Payment Solutions, UniCredit, said “UniCredit and Mastercard are both firmly focused on the future. 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, Mastercard Europe.
Read more about Mastercard Touch Card™ here.
About UniCredit
UniCredit is a pan-European Commercial Bank with a unique service offering in Italy, Germany, Central and Eastern Europe. Our purpose is to empower communities to progress, delivering the best-in-class for all stakeholders, unlocking the potential of our clients and our people across Europe.
We serve over 15 million customers worldwide. They are at the heart of what we do in all our markets. UniCredit is organized in four core regions and three product factories, Corporate, Individual and Group Payments Solutions. This allows us to be close to our clients and use the scale of the entire Group for developing and offering the best products across all our markets.
Digitalization and our commitment to ESG principles are key enablers for our service. They help us deliver excellence to our stakeholders and creating a sustainable future for our clients, our communities, and our people.
About Mastercard (NYSE: MA)
Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart, and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all. www.mastercard.com
Enquiries:
UniCredit Bank Austria Media Relations
Matthias Raftl, Tel. +43 (0) 50505 – 52809
Email: matthias.raftl@unicreditgroup.at
Mastercard
Suman Hughes
suman.hughes@mastercard.com
1 Facts and figures | European Blind Union (euroblind.org)