UAE’s Ajman Bank launches ‘Touch Card’ for visually impaired with Mastercard

Dubai-based Ajman Bank has partnered with Mastercard to launch the first accessible payment card designed for blind and partially sighted customers.

The bank’s new ‘Touch Card’ has a slit system on one side of the card to help users distinguish it from other cards in their wallet or purse, and to use it in the right way at point-of-sale terminals and ATMs.

Credit cards have a square slit, while debit cards have a round slit and prepaid cards a triangular one.

Ajman Bank ‘Touch Card’ with Mastercard

“For visually impaired customers, choosing the right card very often can be a challenging experience. The Touch Card allows consumers to quickly distinguish which card they are using through the three distinctive slits,” said Mohamed Amiri, CEO of Ajman Bank.

“We have always valued Mastercard’s vision of thinking of new ways to innovate and doing things differently to serve more people.”

In the UK, the Mastercard concept has been examined and endorsed by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and by VISIONS/Services for The Blind and Visually Impaired in the US.

Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer and president of Mastercard’s healthcare division, added: “This initiative is taking inclusion to the next level as we seek to promote accessibility in new and meaningful ways.

“This global collaboration with Ajman Bank to introduce the Mastercard Touch Card will offer a higher level of independence and security to blind and partially sighted people in the UAE.”