Switch (debit card): Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|British debit card, 1988–2002}}

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{{redirect|Switch card|Nintendo Switch game cards|Nintendo Game Card#Nintendo Switch}}

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{{infobox brand

'''Switch''' was a [[debit card]] used in the [[United Kingdom]]. It is a sister of the [[Solo (debit card)|Solo debit card]]. Switch was launched in 1988 by [[Midland Bank]], [[National Westminster Bank]] and [[Royal Bank of Scotland]]. The payment system has now been merged with [[Maestro (debit card)|Maestro]], an international debit card brand. This merger has been referred to as the "penguin wedding" with distinctive [[advertisement]]s of the penguins in different international settings, by [[Joel Veitch]]. However, despite the Maestro name the transactions are still processed by the Switch system in the UK.

| name = Switch

| [[Image:logo = Logo of Switch (debit card).gif]]svg

| logo_upright = 0.5

| logo_caption =

| image =

| caption =

| type = [[Debit card]]

| currentowner = [[MasterCard]]

| origin = United Kingdom

| introduced = 1988

| discontinued = 2002

| related = [[Maestro (debit card)|Maestro]]

| markets =

| previousowners =

| trademarkregistrations =

| ambassadors =

| tagline =

| website = {{web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000301014351/http://www.switch.co.uk/switch.htm|title=switch.co.uk}}

|}}

'''Switch''' was a [[debit card]] brand in the United Kingdom from 1988 until 2002. It was then merged with [[Maestro (debit card)|Maestro]], which is owned by [[MasterCard]].

==External linksHistory==

Switch was launched in 1988 by [[Midland Bank]], [[National Westminster Bank]] and [[The Royal Bank of Scotland]] as a multifunction [[cheque guarantee card|cheque guarantee]] and [[Automated teller machine|cash card]].

This merger was referred to as the "penguin wedding," due to its advertisements of penguins in different international settings created by [[Joel Veitch]]. Since then, Switch has been out of circulation and banks migrated customers from Switch to [[Maestro (debit card)|Maestro]].<ref name="Maestro">{{cite web|url=http://www.maestrocard.com/uk/about/switch_to_maestro.html|title=Maestro UK|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100808000653/http://www.maestrocard.com/uk/about/switch_to_maestro.html|archive-date=2010-08-08}}</ref> The deal was announced in August 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2002/aug/02/marketingandpr.citynews|title=Switch to Maestro is on the cards|publisher=www.theguardian.com|date=2 August 2002|access-date=3 February 2018}}</ref>

* [http://www.switch.co.uk/ Official site]

The merger was also intended to increase the acceptance of foreign Maestro cards in the United Kingdom.{{cn|date=January 2025}}

{{econ-stub}}

{{uk-stub}}

This change also led to the discontinuation of [[Solo (debit card)|Solo]] debit cards.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://datacash.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/datacash.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1136&p_created=1299160591 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121210050009/http://datacash.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/datacash.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1136&p_created=1299160591 |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 December 2012 |title=Changes to Solo and Maestro bank cards |publisher=Datacash a mastercard company |date=March 3, 2011 }}</ref>

Switch/Maestro cards issued by certain banks carried an [[issue number]] on the bottom of the card corresponding to the number of times a card had been issued on a particular account. This was usually because the [[Current account (banking)|current account]] number the card was linked to actually formed a large part of the card number, and therefore the card number could not be readily changed in case of loss or the card expiring.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ice-treff.de/index.php?id=363351|title=ICE-Treff - Was für ein Unfug! (zu Kartenzahlung in der BRD)|website=www.ice-treff.de}}</ref>

In January 2009, [[First Direct]] and [[HSBC Bank (Europe)|HSBC]] discontinued the use of Maestro card, issuing [[Visa Debit]] cards to new customers, and a gradual roll out throughout 2009 to existing customers. That September, [[Clydesdale Bank]] and [[Yorkshire Bank]], both owned by [[National Australia Bank]], started the process of replacing the Maestro card with a [[Debit Mastercard]] for their current accounts, except for the Readycash and Student accounts, for which the Maestro card continued to be issued.

In the same month the [[NatWest Group|Royal Bank of Scotland Group]] (Europe's largest debit card issuer which included the [[Royal Bank of Scotland]], [[NatWest]], [[Coutts]] and [[Ulster Bank]]) switched from Maestro to Visa Debit, a process that took two years to complete.<ref>[http://www.rbs.co.uk/personal/current-accounts/g2/debit-cards/your-card.ashx Your card - RBS - The Royal Bank of Scotland] The Royal Bank of Scotland</ref><ref>[http://www.natwest.com/personal/current-accounts/g4/cards/yourcard.ashx Natwest Your card] National Westminster Bank</ref><ref>[http://www.ulsterbank.com/ni/personal/daily-banking/current-accounts/card/visa-debit.ashx?coid=UB_UK_HPLHS_ni_visadebit Visa Debit] Ulster Bank</ref>

==References==

{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000301014351/http://www.switch.co.uk/switch.htm|title=Official website}}

{{Credit cards}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Switch (Debit Card)}}

[[Category:Debit cards]]

[[Category:1988 establishments in the United Kingdom]]

[[Category:2002 disestablishments in the United Kingdom]]

[[Category:NatWest Group]]