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Overview

Physical cards launch checklist☑ Submit cardholder agreement ☑ Submit card art ☑ Submit card carrier design ☑ Complete the order form ☑ Review and approve the proofs for launch

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Card Art Guide

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Templates

Download the templates to get started.

Mastercard-Plastic-Templates-2024.zip

Download

Visa-Plastic-Tempaltes-2024.zip

Download

Symbols and Identifiers.zip

Download

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Requirements

All card designs must adhere to Mastercard or Visa’s brand standards. In this guide, we’ll highlight the main points of concern, but we’re happy to send you the more detailed guides from Mastercard or Visa.
  • Network logo (ie. Mastercard or Visa)
  • Licensee Acknowledgement Statement: 
  • “This card is issued by [Sponsor Bank Name] pursuant to license by Mastercard.”
  • “This card is issued by [Sponsor Bank Name], pursuant to a license from Visa USA Inc.”
  • Product identifier:
  • Mastercard and Visa Debit (Consumer): Debit
  • Mastercard Debit (Commercial): Business Debit
  • Mastercard Credit (Consumer): (None)
  • Mastercard Credit (Commercial): Corporate, Purchasing, or Commercial
  • Visa Debit (Commercial): Business Debit
  • Visa Credit (Commercial): Business
  • Contactless symbol (if applicable)

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Finishes and other options

Enhance your card design with various finish options that add style and durability. Recommended items in bold.
Finishes
Gloss
Matte
Coarse Matte
EmbossingMag Stripe
FlatBlack
RaisedSilver
HologramChip
Copper DebitGold
Global SilverPalladium

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Fonts

For the dynamic text on the cards, only a select number of fonts are supported in order to ensure legibility and compliance. All of the supported fonts are listed in this PDF for reference.  All other text on the card can be in any preferred font but must be OUTLINED before submitting. Set font size at 6pt or larger to ensure legibility when printed.

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Additional templates

All card art must be in Adobe Illustrator format (.ai)
cosmic blue-horizontal(1).zipmoon grey-horizontal(1).zipquasar purple-horizontal(1).zipred giant-horizontal(1).zip
supernova yellow-vertical(1).zipnebula pink-vertical(1).zipblue planet-vertical(1).zip

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Card carrier art

When shipping cards to your customers, it will be shipped in a standard envelope to protect the privacy of the recipient. You will need to provide a designed carrier sleeve. This is generally an 8.5” x 11” tri-fold sheet, with the card glued to the middle, right side. Some elements can’t be moved, but quite a bit of space can be designed with logos, instructional content, support information and anything else. Behind the card itself you will be presented with a choice to have a barcode or QR Code for activation.  Below is a link to a card carrier template you can use:

ASI Letter Carrier Sample.indd

Download
Carrier art is created in Adobe InDesign
Additional resourcesCheck out the Arroweye resources for design success:

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Returned Mail

FinTechs that are preparing to launch card programs will need to decide how to handle returned mail. Synctera recommends beginning with having our card manufacturer track and destroy any returned cards. As the FinTech scales, FinTechs may want to manage the returns. Link to additional details on handling returned mail.

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Finalize the card design

Complete the card order form once all decisions around the card art and collateral are made. Once the order form is completed, notify your Implementation Specialist for next steps.

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Timeline

Launching branded cards includes time for you to complete the card design, as well as the fulfillment providers to set up the manufacturing of the card. See below the average timelines based on whether you are launching with standard or premium cards.

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Standard cards

  • 1 - 3 weeks for design approval and proofing
  • 1 - 2 weeks for initial fulfillment and final approvals

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Premium cards

  • 4 - 6 weeks for design approval and proofing
  • 8 - 10 weeks from proof approval to inventory readiness

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What are custom cards?

Allow your customers to upload individual images for their card, providing them with a personalized experience and a sense of pride about their card.

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Custom card specifications and considerations:

  • Custom card art should be at least 300dpi in order to print as sharply as possible
  • It’s easy to make a mistake and not provide enough contrast for legibility on the printed details, the network logo, and your own company logo
  • Consider including terms of use and acceptance for customer artwork when offering custom cards
  • You’ll likely still require a standard “brand” card for digital wallets and marketing materials
  • Often, the image itself needs to be reviewed and approved to ensure it aligns with the intent of your brand and doesn’t show anything offensive or inappropriate. Using the Custom Card Review case type in Synctera Cases makes reviewing and approving artwork a straightforward experience.
  • Prohibited background images include but are not limited to:
  • Sexual subject matter
  • Political subject matter
  • Offensive racial / prejudicial subject matter
  • Offensive religious subject matter
  • Advertising
  • Self-promotion (e.g. personal business card)
  • Copyrighted material
  • Branded products / services, including abbreviations, acronyms, and / or symbols
  • Solicitations, including telephone numbers or services (e.g. 900 or 800 numbers)
  • Celebrities, musicians, athletes, entertainers, public figures, etc.
  • Affiliation with groups that are determined to be of a “socially unacceptable” nature, including scenes, names, or symbols
  • Subject matter that might result in card acceptance confusion by merchants
  • Subject matter that might result in card fraud
  • Any graphic design element that might reflect poorly or might engender hostility toward or derision of all or any of the Mastercard family of brands
Attachments

quasar purple-horizontal.zip (1.66 MB)

Download

blue planet-vertical.zip (1.66 MB)

Download

cosmic blue-horizontal.zip (1.66 MB)

Download

moon grey-horizontal.zip (1.62 MB)

Download

supernova yellow-vertical.zip (1.67 MB)

Download

red giant-horizontal.zip (1.67 MB)

Download

nebula pink-vertical.zip (1.65 MB)

Download

Available plastic Fonts.pdf (246.35 KB)

Download

ASI_LetterCarrier_sample.indd (1.89 MB)

Download

ASI_LetterCarrier_sample.pdf (101.71 KB)

Download