New Girocard makes it easier to pay for blind people - that's how it works!

New Girocard makes it easier to pay for blind people - that's how it works!

Deutschland - The introduction of new functions in banking cards shows how important accessibility has become in payment transactions. A remarkable innovation is the tactile notch that can be found on many bank cards. This little ornament on the side, known as the "Touch Card", was developed to enable blind and visually impaired people to easily distinguish their payment cards. A study by the EHI Retail Institute proves that the Girocard, a special form of the debit card and the national payment system of the German credit industry, was the most popular means of payment in German retail in 2023 with a market share of 42.4 percent. These changes are particularly important, since there are an estimated over 30 million blind and visually impaired people in Europe who can benefit from this new function, such as Ruhr24 reported.

The concept of tactile notch originally comes from Mastercard and differentiates between different card types: a round notch marks a girocard, a square notch stands for credit cards and a triangular notch for prepaid cards. These design options should promote independence when paying and make everyday life easier for affected people. The Girocard itself was renamed the previous EC card in 2007 and is characterized by the fact that it immediately affects the account, in contrast to credit cards, which only debited at a later date.

a step towards accessibility

The introduction of the tactile notch is an example of barrier -free design that not only serves blind and visually impaired people, but also offers advantages for other user groups. Unicredit has already announced that this function as the first bankruptcy group to be introduced on your maps in twelve countries. In addition, the new Girokarten of the ING have successfully implemented this function. Banks are increasingly realizing that accessibility in payment transactions is not only a legal obligation, but also an important customer concern. This supportive investments in barrier-free banking services include structural measures such as ramps and automatic doors as well as digital solutions for online banking and payment transactions, such as gi.de emphasized.

accessibility in payment transactions means that all people can use financial services for their physical or cognitive skills, an economic background or location. It is important that financial institutions adapt their offers to the different needs of their customers. The spectrum ranges from an 18-year-old to an 80-year-old or visually impaired to wheelchair-dependent people. The focus on digital accessibility is particularly relevant because more and more people are using online banking and digital wallets.

Development of barrier -free products

Financial institutes are required to make digital products accessible and to take into account the different requirements of their users. Accessibility should not only be regarded as a compliance topic, but rather should be integrated into the design process and business decisions. The UN Convention on the Rights of Disabilities emphasizes that people with impairments have to be actively involved in product development. Innovative solutions such as convego® Auth-U offer passwordless biometric authentication as safe access to digital payment methods and show how important it is to include accessibility from the start in the development process.