Maestro Debit Card Benefits

The Maestro debit card, backed by MasterCard has provided consumers with some benefits typically not offered with a standard debit card.  For one thing, the Maestro debit card is currently accepted in 93 countries all over the world with more expected.  Because of this, people that travel, whether for business or pleasure, have a viable means of making cash withdrawals, transferring funds, checking balances, and so on.[br]

The Maestro debit card, backed by MasterCard has provided consumers with some benefits typically not offered with a standard debit card.  For one thing, the Maestro debit card is currently accepted in 93 countries all over the world with more expected.  Because of this, people that travel, whether for business or pleasure, have a viable means of making cash withdrawals, transferring funds, checking balances, and so on.[br]

While most debit cards are convenient, the Maestro debit card is truly unique.  With this card, people can send money, make standard ATM withdrawals, or use the card to buy goods or make payments to debtors.  However, the Maestro debit card goes beyond these standard benefits to include the following:

·    Instant cash access without waiting for fund verification and/or approval from the issuing company or bank.  For many countries around the world, this can easily save two to three week’s time.
 
·    The Maestro debit card is used with a PIN, which provides an extra layer of protection should the card be lost or stolen.  However, for the consumer, the PIN allows for faster transactions since constantly showing identification would be eliminated.[br]

·    Consumers have a way to take out only the amount of cash needed so they are not carrying around excess money that could easily be stolen in some parts of the world.

·    Additionally, the Maestro debit card can be used to make purchases or payments online, as well as anywhere that the Maestro symbol is displayed.

·    Another benefit of the Maestro debit card is that when in another country and needing to access cash, often the rate through the Maestro card would be much better than using another type of overseas service for gaining access to money.

Although the opportunity for millions of people to shop online or make payments via the internet exists, this also creates risk specifically to security issues.  With the Maestro debit card, every transaction is provided excellent protection.  This particular card is linked to the Secure Card System with MasterCard, which means when a purchase or payment is being made the individual trying to complete the transaction would have to be authenticated.  That way, if a person’s Maestro debit card had been lost or stolen, the user would not be able to spend a dime.

The way debit and credit card purchases are handled on line currently is that consumers try to choose merchants that use the latest and most innovative security software.  While this is great, it also puts the responsibility of protection on the merchant and there is no real way to verity that the information the online company is posting about the type of software used is legitimate.

With the Maestro debit card, the responsibility for protecting the consumer is in the hands of MasterCard, not the online merchant.  With this card, each authorized user is provided a distinct PIN (Personal Identification Number) so any transaction online would be approved.  In addition to the Maestro debit card being ideal for online purchases and payments, it is also extremely secure for withdrawing and sending money.

All of these benefits make the Maestro debit card unique but one of the most important benefits is being able to access funds.  With MasterCard being the world’s largest ATM network, this means that the individual can get money from literally anywhere the network is located, which includes locations throughout the world.  For anyone traveling to a foreign country, MasterCard offers a toll-free number for locating ATMs closest to the desired area.