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Await credit cards that "talk" to you

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

If the concept of "talking" credit cards sounds like a scene from a science fiction movie, then here is a reality bite. MasterCard, one of the major transaction processing companies in the world, is all set to unveil a new set of credit cards that have an embedded computer screen. This screen will literally talk to the customer and keep them informed about their credit limit, available balance, interest rates and many more.

The Chief Security Officer of NagraID Security, the firm that is currently making these cards, Cyril Lalo, said that these cards will be akin to Swiss knives in the credit card industry. This company has been trying for years to find a way to embed a computer screen on to the small plastic card in such a way that it can withstand bending and the wear and tear of regular usage. In addition to this, the company also made efforts to develop a battery that lasted for at least 3 years and could also withstand the trauma of being rinsed in the washing machine once in a while.

Lalo said that now these obstacles have been overcome, the card will arrive in the market in the near future. Though the cost of these cards is definitely higher than the ones that are currently in use, it is made up for in terms of the security these cards offer.

A few banks in Europe and Asia have already unveiled this card in their respective regions and Lalo says that two banks in the US are now eager to be the first to unveil the card in the country.