Citizens Rolls Out Sustainably Manufactured Mastercard Debit and ATM Cards

Rhea-AI Summary

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (CFG) introduces a new sustainably manufactured Mastercard® Debit and ATM Card, made from 90 percent recycled plastic and featuring Mastercard’s Touch Card™ innovation. The cards are designed to fuel sustainability and accessibility, carrying Mastercard’s sustainable card badge, validated by an independent certification program. Citizens was the first U.S. bank to introduce Mastercard’s Touch Card feature, implemented in May 2023.

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• The new sustainably manufactured cards demonstrate Citizens' commitment to environmental sustainability and accessibility for customers who are blind and partially sighted. The partnership with Mastercard shows innovative collaboration in the banking industry, setting a benchmark for sustainable card manufacturing. The independent certification program validates the cards' environmental impact, aligning with industry standards and reducing energy consumption, material consumption, carbon footprint, and waste.

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Newest product from Citizens’ expanded partnership with Mastercard is made from 90 percent recycled plastic and features Mastercard’s Touch Card™ innovation

PROVIDENCE, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: CFG) today announced the full rollout of Citizens Bank, N.A.’s (“Citizens”) new sustainably manufactured Mastercard^® Debit and ATM Card, the latest product in a collaborative partnership with its exclusive partner, Mastercard. Designed and manufactured to fuel sustainability and accessibility, the new cards are manufactured using 90 percent recycled PVC and feature Mastercard’s unique Touch Card™ notch, which improves card recognition for customers who are blind and partially sighted.

(Photo: Business Wire)

The new debit and ATM cards carry Mastercard’s sustainable card badge, which carries validation from an independent, first-of-its kind certification program. Using current industry benchmarks, cards are verified if they meaningfully reduce energy consumption, material consumption, carbon footprint and waste.

Citizens was the first bank in the U.S. to introduce Mastercard’s Touch Card feature, first implemented in May 2023 on the Citizens Private Client™ World Elite Mastercard and now on all Citizens debit and ATM cards. Each card has a differently shaped, tactile notch on its side — rounded for debit and ATM and squared for credit — so customers can easily tell their cards apart by feel, especially important as more cards are being issued as flat objects, without the customary embossing of name and card number. Mastercard’s Touch Card design has been thoroughly vetted and endorsed by industry organizations around the world and tested against a variety of POS terminals and ATMs, ensuring a seamless experience by cardholders.

“The full conversion of our new Mastercard debit and ATM cards is another milestone in our expanded, strategic partnership with Mastercard, a collaboration that embodies our shared commitment to innovation, inclusivity and unparalleled customer experience,” said Brendan Coughlin, Vice Chair and Head of Consumer Banking at Citizens. “As our customers’ trusted financial advisors, we are committed to providing more sustainable and accessible products that reduce our environmental impact and help our customers and communities thrive.”

“At Mastercard, we’re committed to integrating environmental sustainability and inclusive technology to make consumer experiences seamless, safe and secure while protecting our planet,” said John Levitsky, President, U.S. Financial Institutions, Mastercard. “With partners like Citizens and cards like the new Citizens Mastercard Debit and ATM Cards, people can feel confident that their payment choice reflects our shared values.”

The reissuance for consumer and business debit and ATM cardholders will begin in January 2024, converting all Citizens’ debit and ATM cards to Mastercard. Citizens Quest^® Checking and Citizens Private Client™ Checking customers will receive the Mastercard World Debit cards, which offer travel rewards and unique event access, as well as resources for business owners. All debit and ATM cards also include 24/7 fraud monitoring and alerts.

The rPVC debit and ATM cards are manufactured exclusively by global security technology company Giesecke+Devrient (G+D). Citizens exclusively partnered with G+D, which provides the unique card issuance service that allows the Touch Card notch to be available on every debit and ATM card in the Citizens portfolio.

Today's announcement is an example of Citizens’ continued efforts to build a more sustainable future. For information on the bank’s overall ESG efforts, click here.

About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $225.3 billion in assets as of September 30, 2023. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. Citizens helps its customers reach their potential by listening to them and by understanding their needs in order to offer tailored advice, ideas and solutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens provides an integrated experience that includes mobile and online banking, a full-service customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,400 ATMs and more than 1,100 branches in 14 states and the District of Columbia. Consumer Banking products and services include a full range of banking, lending, savings, wealth management and small business offerings. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers a broad complement of financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as loan syndication, corporate finance, merger and acquisition, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities. More information is available at www.citizensbank.com or visit us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.

About Mastercard

Mastercard (NYSE: MA) is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and network, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all. www.mastercard.com.

About G+D

Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) is a global SecurityTech company headquartered in Munich, Germany. G+D makes the lives of billions of people more secure. The company shapes trust in the digital age, with built-in security technology in three segments: Digital Security, Financial Platforms and Currency Technology. G+D was founded in 1852 and today has a workforce of more than 14,000 employees. In the fiscal year 2022, the company generated a turnover of 2.53 billion euros. G+D is represented by 123 subsidiaries and joint ventures in 40 countries. Further information: www.gi-de.com.

Mastercard and the circles design are registered trademarks of Mastercard International Incorporated.

Debit and ATM Cards are issued by Citizens Bank, N.A. pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231212379303/en/

Eleni Garbis

eleni.garbis@citizensbank.com

(781) 471-2233

Source: Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

FAQ

What is the new product introduced by Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (CFG)?

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (CFG) introduced a new sustainably manufactured Mastercard® Debit and ATM Card, made from 90 percent recycled plastic and featuring Mastercard’s Touch Card™ innovation.

What is the unique feature of the new cards?

The new cards feature Mastercard’s unique Touch Card™ notch, improving card recognition for customers who are blind and partially sighted.

What does the sustainable card badge on the new cards signify?

The sustainable card badge on the new cards signifies validation from an independent, first-of-its-kind certification program, verifying the cards' meaningful reduction in energy consumption, material consumption, carbon footprint, and waste.

When was Mastercard’s Touch Card feature first implemented by Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (CFG)?

Mastercard’s Touch Card feature was first implemented by Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (CFG) in May 2023.