Mastercard Launches Touch Card in Canada to Aid Sight Loss Users

In a significant move toward making finance more inclusive, Mastercard Inc MA has rolled out its innovative Touch Card in Canada. This tactile card is specially designed to give the sight loss community a more secure and independent way to make payments. This innovative card, now available through CIBC Adapta Mastercard, uses unique notches — rounded for debit, squared for credit and triangular for prepaid — allowing users to easily identify card types by touch alone, especially at retail counters or ATMs.

With eight in 10 Canadians supporting the idea of making financial products more accessible, MA’s initiative is a timely response to growing demand for inclusivity. The card’s tactile system allows users who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision to confidently manage daily financial transactions, which was a challenge with modern flat card designs.

The Canadian National Institute for the Blind reports that over 1.5 million Canadians live with sight loss, and accessible financial tools like the Touch Card can greatly enhance their quality of life.

This initiative not only enhances Mastercard’s Environmental, Social, Governance profile but also establishes the company as a leader in inclusive fintech design. According to Grand View Research, the global digital payment market size is projected to reach $361.3 billion by 2030. Addressing the needs of underserved communities is both a moral obligation and a smart business move.

If these inclusive design features gain widespread adoption, they could set a new standard in card manufacturing, much like the introduction of braille on ATMs.

MA’s Price Performance

Over the past year, MA’s shares have gained 30.3% compared with the industry’s growth of 27%.

Mastercard’s Zacks Rank & Key Picks

MA currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks in the business services space are OppFi Inc. OPFI, Green Dot Corporation GDOT and Sezzle Inc. SEZL, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for OppFi’s current-year earnings of $1.23 per share has witnessed two upward revisions in the past 30 days against no movement in the opposite direction. OppFi beat earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 59.5%. The consensus estimate for current-year revenues is pegged at $578.4 million, implying 10% year-over-year growth.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Green Dot’s current-year earnings of $1.22 per share has witnessed two upward revisions in the past 30 days against no movement in the opposite direction. Green Dot beat earnings estimates in two of the trailing four quarters and missed twice, with the average surprise being 5.6%. The consensus estimate for current-year revenues is pegged at $2.1 billion, implying 20.2% year-over-year growth.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Sezzle’s current-year earnings of $3.24 per share has witnessed two upward revisions in the past 30 days against no movement in the opposite direction. Sezzle beat earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 159.9%. The consensus estimate for current-year revenues is pegged at $438.4 million, implying 61.7% year-over-year growth.

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