HSBC Plans to Redesign Its Bank Cards

New unified design proposed for HSBC's bank cards across its 30 countries

HSBC could be onto something with their latest announcement. The multinational retail banking giant are going to redesign their bank cards. Across the thirty countries it serves, the Hong Kong based bank aim to standardise the graphic design of its ATM, credit, and debit cards. Its main aim is consistency, a must if you have a global brand like Apple or McDonalds.



HSBC's 30 countries will benefit from their new look. They will be based on the lion which sits at the entrance of HSBCs headquarters in Hong Kong. Created by Hong Kong-based design consultancy, Shift, the lion forms the centrepiece of its future ATM, credit, and debit cards. Each colour represents the kind of card that is issued to the customer. A red lion on a matt silver background, for example, is used for debit cards.

Shift's aim is to “cut through the complexity” of its retail banking products. The company has also designed digital equivalents for Android Pay, Samsung Pay and Apple Pay. By the end of this year, HSBC's new look cards will have been issued to new customers and existing customers, whose cards will expire this year.

>Other facts about HSBC’s new cards:

• The first recipients of the new look cards are holders of Premier Mastercard and VISA Platinum credit cards;


• From June 2017, existing customers with VISA Debit cards will get the new design;


• In July 2017, holders of VISA Gold and Classic credit cards will follow suit;


• Stephen Stitt, the customer name on the card design is shared with HSBC’s two lions, which are seen at the entrance of their Shanghai headquarters;


• The two lion statues, Stephen and Stitt, were cast in bronze by Henry Poole in 1921. They are named after chief managers Alexander Stephen and Gordon Stitt.

Dreamkatcha, 28 April 2017.

HSBC and Canary Wharf image by Aaabbbccc (via Shutterstock).