Mastercard’s biggest business challenge is a fundamental lack of differentiation in its core product. Mastercard, Visa, Amex, and Discover all offer the same tech, and all promise the same speed, security, and convenience.

The way to solve for this was simple and straightforward. Mastercard had historically differentiated itself through its brand campaign: priceless. We needed to make good on our priceless promise by substantiating it with real action.

One area where Mastercard could make a difference that was truly priceless: financial inclusion.

We identified three audiences that needed our help: the transgender community, partially-sighted people, and those living with dementia.

Mastercard has historically differentiated its brand by associating with priceless moments. But truth be told, those priceless moments aren’t always ones that everyone can relate to.

What would be the most priceless thing we could do for marginalized communities?

For the transgender community it was obvious. Allow them to dictate their own names. True Name was the first credit card that allowed people to use their chosen names on their cards.

For the partially-sighted, it was more subtle. We had to change the card itself. Touch Card used a system of notches to allow anyone to tell their cards apart with a touch.

For those living with dementia, the challenge was the greatest. How do you take a complex product and make it safer to use? This year, we introduced Sibstar, an app and card that allow caregivers to put guardrails on where and how their loved ones spend.

We used quantitative and qualitative research, and connected directly with the communities we were trying to help. We turned to experts in accessibility – LGBTQIA+ advocacy organization GLAAD, The Royal National Institute of Blind People, VISIONS/Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and the Alzheimer’s Society.

We also spoke to the people living these challenges daily. We interviewed transgender and partially-sighted people, and people with dementia. We found people within our own agency who had lived some of these challenges themselves.

Through this we learned that the cards we use every day have basic design flaws.

They force transgender and non-binary people to use their birth names against their will.

They are impossible for partially-sighted people to distinguish by touch.

They are too complex for people with dementia.

Our approach to solving this was not limited to communications: it included the possibility of re-thinking our core product.

With this in mind, we shifted our focus to redesigning the most basic gateway to financial inclusion — the card itself — in way that would make a real difference for marginalized communities.