Mastercard and Ajman Bank have stepped up their commitment to inclusion with a new initiative aimed at expanding access to the digital economy.
Touch Card, the world’s first, is an accessible payment card that allows blind and partially sighted people to easily make payments and distinguish between their cards.
There are a few effective ways for blind people to quickly determine if they have a credit, debit, or prepaid card. Especially since more cards are moving to flat designs without embossed names or numbers.
Mastercard addresses this challenge with a simple innovation, introducing a notch system on the side of the card to help consumers use the right card in the right way.
The Touch Card is designed to work with POS terminals and ATMs, making it widely available. Credit cards have a square notch. Debit card notches are rounded. Prepaid cards have a triangular cutout.
In addition to blind consumers, anyone in a dimly lit environment or with a hand in their wallet can benefit from the touch card design.
The Ajman Bank Touch Card also offers perks tailored to each cardholder’s individual needs, such as up to 10% cashback perks with his four categories of fuel, online spending, groceries, and school fees to choose from.
According to the latest available data, 15% of the world’s population suffers from some form of disability, the largest minority in the world. The World Health Organization estimates that at least 2.2 billion people around the world have vision problems.
A recent study by Mastercard, “Bridging the Disability Gap: An Opportunity to Make a Positive Impact,” showed that digital inclusion is the path to financial inclusion for people with disabilities. It highlights the clear opportunity for the industry to work together to positively impact the lives of millions of people around the world.
Mastercard concept has been reviewed and approved by the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) in the United Kingdom and her VISIONS/Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired in the United States. Co-designed by IDEMIA, the global leader in augmented identity, the card offers a trusted solution in both physical and digital domains.
“At Ajman Bank, We have included as an integral part of our corporate culture and social responsibility.
Innovation has the power to change the world for the better. We are pleased to partner with Mastercard to be the first company to drive this innovative solution.
Choosing the right card can be very difficult for visually impaired customers.
With Touch Card, a consumer can quickly identify which card he is using by looking at three different indentations. We have always appreciated Mastercard’s vision to innovate and find new ways to do things differently to serve more people,” said Ajman Bank Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Amiri.
Moza Al Akraf Al Suwaidi Under Secretary of State for Community Development said: The cooperation between Ajman Bank and Mastercard makes life easier for many people. This is the UAE’s social and community goal of promoting an inclusive environment for all by harnessing the limitless power and potential of technology to enrich the well-being of people regardless of their abilities.
“We firmly believe that no one should be left behind in our pursuit of a digital future. The world is changing for the better with early adopters and we are excited to work with Ajman Bank to develop valuable solutions that simplify the lives of blind and partially sighted people in the UAE. and North Africa, Mastercard.”
