Fido or Fluffy – or at least their images – could soon be making ATM and debit transactions because banks are now allowing their customers to personalize debit cards. U.K.-based Serverside Group (serversidegroup.com) is the company behind the new digital design technology, which includes AllAboutMe, a Web-based app that enables bank customers to design debit cards online by uploading personal photos or selecting from a gallery of stock images.
The latest bank to adopt the technology, KBC of Belgium, added a contest with a viral element – customers get their friends and family to vote for their card design to help them win a holiday in Kenya. Some consumer brands in the U.S. are also getting in on the action. Hill’s Pet Nutrition has an affinity card through Bank of America that cardholders can personalize with pet photos, then get discounts at vet clinics and Hill’s Science Diet brand pet food or make donations to animal shelters. And BMW’s Mini Cooper has a card fans of the vehicle can design online by choosing the colours and options for their ideal Mini. The card includes discounts on purchases of a Mini, accessories and service.
Isn’t it about time hockey fans were able to show their true colours when they make financial transactions? After all, Canadians are the highest per capita users of ABMs and debit cards in the world, and as such, a fertile market for personalized debit cards.
