Revolutionizing Accessibility: UniCredit and Mastercard Launch Inclusive Payment Cards for Visually Impaired Customers
UniCredit has partnered with Mastercard to update all its debit, credit, and prepaid cards with Mastercard Touch Card technology, offering specific features for blind and visually impaired individuals to promote accessibility. The new cards are now available in Italy and will be gradually introduced in the 12 countries where UniCredit operates, totaling approximately 20 million cards by 2024.
The Mastercard Touch Card design includes lateral engravings to help users identify the right card by touch, making it easier for blind and partially sighted customers to distinguish between their payment cards. This innovative design aims to provide a greater sense of safety, inclusiveness, and independence for visually impaired individuals when making payments. In Europe, there are over 30 million blind and partially sighted people, with an average of 1 in 30 Europeans experiencing vision problems.
As part of its ESG principles, the Mastercard Touch Card is made from recycled PVC, and each card features a Mastercard sustainability badge, certifying its sustainability credentials. Alberto Palombi, Head of Group Payment Solutions at UniCredit, expressed the importance of offering an inclusive and sustainable payment experience for all customers in Europe, emphasizing the bank’s commitment to providing financial tools accessible to all individuals.
Mark Barnett, President of Mastercard Europe, highlighted the company’s core value of inclusion and the importance of driving new payment card standards that promote inclusivity. The collaboration between UniCredit and Mastercard demonstrates a commitment to creating solutions that improve accessibility for all individuals, showcasing the power of partnerships in driving positive change in the financial sector.
