Two shapes for two card types

Bank Austria said it was introducing the design across its debit and credit card offering. The Austrian announcement concerned these two types, although Mastercard’s wider design system also includes prepaid cards. The distinction matters because the physical shape identifies the card category, rather than reading out an account balance or transaction. A customer can use touch to distinguish the products, but the notch does not itself make an online banking screen or a shop’s payment terminal accessible. UniCredit’s Austria country manager Robert Zadrazil said the design was intended to become the standard across the bank’s debit and credit cards.

Blind users contributed to the design

The Royal National Institute of Blind People describes its own involvement in developing the Mastercard system. RNIB said that the move away from embossed card surfaces had made it harder for blind and partially sighted people to distinguish cards. Its experts worked with Mastercard on different notch shapes, and prototypes were refined with further consumer feedback. This supports the design’s consultation history. It does not constitute an independent assessment of every stage of Bank Austria’s customer service or its Austrian rollout.

The terminal remains another task

RNIB’s separate guidance on accessible chip-and-PIN devices explains why identifying a card is only one part of paying. Accessible touchscreen terminals can announce the amount and use audio cues to guide PIN entry. The merchant may need to activate the accessibility mode, and the method varies between devices. RNIB’s guidance describes these practical features in a UK context. It helps identify the next barrier in a transaction without implying that every Austrian shop already provides the same terminal or assistance. [3]

A wider Austrian accessibility deadline

The card launch preceded the entry into force of Austria’s Barrierefreiheitsgesetz on 28 June 2025. The Social Ministry’s explanation lists payment terminals and consumer banking services among the products and services covered, while also describing transitional arrangements and exceptions. It does not prescribe this particular notch design. The February announcement was a specific change to a physical product. The broader legal framework addresses access across services and technology, where choosing a card, checking a payment and completing it independently are connected but different tasks. [4]