'Numberless' debit card launched in Spain – a first for Eurozone
Monday, July 13, 2020 @ 7:38 PM
THE FIRST-EVER debit card with no number or three-digit CVC security code on it has been launched in Spain, and means that if it falls into the wrong hands, nobody except the owner can use it to make online purchases or payments.
Launched by Orange Bank, it is the first 100% mobile debit card, and all the crucial information is stored on the holder's mobile phone App.
According to Mastercard, a total of 67% of purchases have been made by card in Spain in the last few months – and this trend is set to continue, even for a couple of coffees in a bar, given that they are now much more widely accepted.
Card use soared during lockdown, as consumers, retailers and service providers sought to avoid physical cash as it involves touching more surfaces and potentially infecting them with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The Orange Bank 'digital' card is operated by Mastercard and is already available via the App, although users can request a physical card to make contactless payments with – and which will only show the bank's name and the holder's name, not any of the numbers, or the expiry date.
Although not the first of these 'blank' cards Mastercard has produced, the Orange Bank version in Spain is the first to hit the Eurozone.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com