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New portrait debit cards are being introduced by a bank in the UK. Will this become the norm?
Credit cards may soon look a bit different in the United Kingdom. We’ve become so used to holding and viewing our cards that this could be a major shock. Gone will be the landscape design that has been a staple of credit cards since the days of the Diners Club Card and instead a new portrait card. Will it catch on? One bank in the UK is saying it will.
London-based Starling Bank unveiled a new portrait card design in July. The bank is a mobile-only bank with business done mostly through an app, though they do also issue debit cards. The bank was founded in 2014 when the founder concluded that the financial system was broken and wanted to start her own bank. Since then Starling has been at the forefront of new technology and innovation.
With the EMV chips the question was asked since the card is being dipped in a different manner than it was swiped why shouldn’t the information be displayed differently? Others have introduced cards like Virgin America and CapitalOne but only in limited quantities and for special promotions or partnerships and it never seemed to really take off.
The one thing that will not change is functionality and considering how the credit card and the technology that goes into it has evolved it should be no surprise that the design of the card will have to evolve too. Swiping a credit card will soon be a thing of the past and the new design is designed with dipping the card in mind. The landscape design that has graced the card harkens back to the days when a card would have the raised numbers rubbed so that it could be copied to a sales slip. What will change is that all relevant information will be printed on the reverse of the card (no prying eyes when someone is using it) and the cards will be able to be dipped or work as contactless payment.
Will it catch on though? That is of course the major question. At best it will be a slow transition as credit card issuers will not want to replace every card in circulation so this may just stick with Starling for the moment. As with most innovations regarding credit cards it will take off in Europe well before it comes to North America. If this proves to be more than just a fad or a gimmick it will certainly take some getting used to.
