Mastercard has launched a new Touch Card feature for its credit, debit, and prepaid cards, a tactile notch for those with low or no vision.
Touch Card by Mastercard addresses the challenge faced by the sight loss community when engaging in everyday financial activities, says the company. It’s designed to offer a greater sense of security and independence to cardholders by allowing them to easily distinguish and orient their cards during a transaction.
In launching Touch Card, Mastercard worked with Mara Lauren Hutchinson, an advocate for the blind. In a campaign video, she discusses how the Touch Card feature can have a positive impact on her day-to-day financial activities.
CIBC is the first Canadian issuing partner to make the Touch Card feature available to Canadians as of May 1, 2025, through a credit card with a unique squared notch, the CIBC Adapta Mastercard.
According to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), as cited by Mastercard, 1.5 million Canadians identify as having sight loss.