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Mastercard Redesigns Credit/Debit Cards with Notches For the Visually Impaired

Turns out the new design will make it easier for all of us to orient the cards

By Rain Noe - November 3, 2021

in Social Impact

Here's a great example of designing something for an impaired population, and making an improvement that benefits all. Mastercard has redesigned their debit, credit and pre-paid cards with different physical notches in them—round, trapezoidal and checkmark-shaped—so that the visually impaired can distinguish them by touch.

The additional benefit, of course, is that everyone will be able to use the off-center notches to accurately orient the cards, by touch, when inserting them into a machine.

I'd like to see a little more differentiation between the shapes, but I guess there's only so far they can take it with the material.

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Pg grg

a year ago

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Good thought.

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Dee An

a year ago

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Cards could be much smaller. Most time I use my card, the only working parts are the chip and contacts, or else the NFC wireless transponder. Now, if a card were even just half the width, it could be stored about one's person more easily - it could fit within a pouch in a belt, for example. Make the card just the width of the chip contacts and it could fit within a watch strap or bracelet.
I wrote coming from the UK where it isn't required for people to carry photo-ID. It's nice not to have to carry a wallet. Sometimes it'd be nice to carry a form of payment without fear of a card, wallet or cash falling from a pocket. Smartphones can be too bulky.

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Zach W

a year ago

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differentiating between types of cards is useful but didn't the raised numbers give a clue to the orientation already? I can find the front/right of my card by touch no problemo.....

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- Nathan D.
  
  Zach W
  
  a year ago
  
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  Most cards don't have raised type due to the fact that nobody uses carbon paper or impressioners anymore.
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  - Zach W
    
    Nathan D.
    
    a year ago
    
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    Z
    
    guess I need new cards!
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