Plastic cards can be distinguished in many aspects. Cards are divided by type of funds:
- Debit. The owners of such cards use their own funds for settlement operations.
- Credit. Payment of goods / services at the expense of the bank, interest is accrued on debt in proportion to the term and amount of the loan.
Among the standard types of cards can be distinguished and 2 more of their varieties. According to the degree of protection, cards are divided into the following types:
- An embossed card (what it is, will be described below).
- Unembossed card.
What is an embossed bank card?
The complex process of producing embossed cards protects their cardholders from unauthorized use. It is more difficult for fraudsters to make a duplicate, therefore purchases with such a card are better protected.
In the simplest sense, an embossed bank card is a card that has a greater degree of protection. All inscriptions on it are convex (surname and name of the cardholder, expiration date, card number and other information). Data cannot be applied quickly, so card production takes 2 weeks.
An embossed card - what is it? Why aren't all cards so protected? Read more about this.
Nominal, Chip, and Instant Cards
What does an embossed card mean and what other means of protection can it have? As a rule, personal cards, in addition to owner data, are additionally protected by a chip. If such a card is in your hands, then any purchase should be made only with your confirmation. The signal for the bank in this case will be entering the PIN code. If the chip is missing, the card is not fully protected, since the presence of a magnetic strip allows the operation to be performed without entering a secret code (PIN code).
According to the rules, the seller must necessarily verify the data of the passport and the data on the card. They must match. Therefore, when traveling, an embossed card is indispensable. What does this give you? Confidence that nobody but you uses money. Cash can be stolen, and then the trip will deteriorate.
Instant cards are mostly credit cards that are issued quickly. The amounts on them are small, and therefore the bank does not particularly care about the degree of their protection. With these cards, it’s better not to pay for purchases, at least in online stores. And in other places - observe safety precautions.
Where else use embossed cards?
In addition to banks, cards of this standard are used in large organizations and retail chains. Do you need to organize identification in the access system and time tracking? An embossed card will handle this. What is it and why is it needed in chain stores? The embossed card stores important data about the owner, the amount of his discount, takes into account and remembers all operations with its use. Gives the company access to confidential information. It is also designed to promote a store or network among buyers.
An embossed card differs in its appearance from ordinary ones, therefore it is also made to attract attention. It shows the status, indicates the importance of the person or the scope of business. The externally embossed card is more attractive, which means it is desirable for the rest.
Unembossed card: why is it still used?
It would seem, for all its shortcomings, the non-personalized card (i.e., non-embossed) should have already ceased to exist long ago. But banks are still actively issuing these types of plastic cards. And many use them. What is the reason for success?
Cards of this type are issued very quickly, therefore, whether it has debit or credit functionality, you will receive it immediately after filling out the questionnaire. Information about you is minimized when it comes to debit cards. Credit unembossed cards are issued, as a rule, "in the load" to the main product. For example, when applying for a consumer loan, a bank employee may offer you a card with a small amount from a bank with zero service, just in case. Or they will issue a card with reference to your credit account to replenish it through ATMs.
A non-personalized card has a lower cost of service, if at all provided for by the contract. Such "payment instruments" are issued for the most part to the level of "Standard". And cards of the "Classic" level and above ("Gold" and others) are mostly personalized. They necessarily have a higher level of protection: there is owner data, a microchip, a CVV code, and so on.
Which card to take with you abroad?
If we compare the cards embossed and unembossed, then in any case the priority is in the first type. Traveling to any European or other state involves spending within the country. Plastic cards are not subject to declaration at border crossings. But on cash impose strict restrictions depending on the host country.
There should be several plastic cards, at least two for a trip. If one is lost, it will not be necessary to restore it outside Russia. The main thing is to block. The second card will save your trip.
As for payment systems, the choice between VISA and MasterCard is not so important. The main thing is the level of the map. For booking a car, hotel and making payments, any one not lower than Classic is suitable. Fundamentally, this is only when converting currencies. If you have an account in foreign currency with a Russian bank, it would be better for you to attach it to the card before the trip. So the amount of commissions will be less.