ABOUT

A new kind of bank deserves a new kind of card. That's why Starling Bank, the UK's first mobile-only bank to offer personal, joint and business accounts, redesigned its debit cards. The new card has a portrait orientation to reflect the way customers hold their cards when they make a contactless payment or insert the card into an ATM. All the card information (customer details, including name, card number and expiry date) is on the back of the card, lending itself to a sleek, minimalist design and making it more secure for those who wish to share photographs of the card on social media.

Bank cards were originally designed in landscape because of the way old card machines worked. The embossed raised numbers existed so they could be printed onto a sales voucher. But these machines aren't used anymore, so when you think about it, a landscape card is just a solution to a ‘problem’ that no longer exists.

Just as Starling has taken a stand over static, outdated technology to deliver a better banking experience, the team has carried this ethos over into the design of the card. The design is as beautiful and intuitive as the Starling app.