Switch (debit card)
MasterCard | |
Country | United Kingdom |
---|---|
Introduced | 1988 |
Discontinued | 2002 |
Related brands | Maestro |
Switch was a
History
Switch was launched in 1988 by
This merger was referred to as the "penguin wedding," due to its distinctive advertisements of penguins in different international settings created by Joel Veitch. Since then, Switch has been out of circulation and banks migrated customers from Switch to Maestro.[1] The deal was announced in August 2002.[2]
The merger was also intended to increase the acceptance of foreign
Consequently, many retailers who advertise that they accept Maestro could only accept cards issued in the United Kingdom, i.e. former Switch cards that supported both UK Domestic Maestro (UKDM) and Maestro International functionality. In March 2011, Mastercard aligned UK Domestic Maestro with the standard international Maestro proposition, ending its status as a separate card scheme.
This change also led to the discontinuation of Solo debit cards.[3]
Switch/Maestro cards issued by certain banks carried an
The term "Switch" was commonly used to refer to debit cards in the United Kingdom; however, the brand is largely forgotten now.[citation needed]
In January 2009,
Likewise, in the same month the then Royal Bank of Scotland Group (Europe's largest debit card issuer which includes the Royal Bank of Scotland, NatWest, Coutts and Ulster Bank) switched from Maestro to Visa Debit, a process that would take two years to complete.[5][6][7]
External links
- ^ "Maestro UK". Archived from the original on 8 August 2010.
- ^ "Switch to Maestro is on the cards". www.theguardian.com. 2 August 2002. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ "Changes to Solo and Maestro bank cards". Datacash a mastercard company. 3 March 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "ICE-Treff - Was für ein Unfug! (zu Kartenzahlung in der BRD)". www.ice-treff.de.
- ^ Your card - RBS - The Royal Bank of Scotland The Royal Bank of Scotland
- ^ Natwest Your card National Westminster Bank
- ^ Visa Debit Ulster Bank