UniCredit is partnering with Mastercard to update its debit, credit, and prepaid cards with Mastercard Touch Card technology. This collaboration aims to provide specific features for blind and visually impaired individuals, promoting accessibility. The new cards are now available in Italy and will gradually be introduced in the 12 countries where UniCredit operates, totaling approximately 20 million cards by 2024.
The Mastercard Touch Card design includes lateral engravings that 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 commitment to environmental sustainability (ESG), UniCredit has chosen to make the Mastercard Touch Card from recycled PVC. Each card also features a Mastercard sustainability badge that certifies its sustainability credentials. Alberto Palombi, Head of Group Payment Solutions at UniCredit, emphasized the importance of offering an inclusive and sustainable payment experience for all customers in Europe. He highlighted how this collaboration demonstrates UniCredit’s commitment to providing financial tools accessible to all individuals while driving positive change in the financial sector.
Mark Barnett, President of Mastercard Europe, underscored the company’s core value of inclusion and the importance of driving new payment card standards that promote inclusivity. The partnership between UniCredit and Mastercard is a testament to their shared commitment to creating solutions that improve accessibility for all individuals while showcasing the power of partnerships in driving positive change in the financial sector.