Gold credit card for the seriously minted
THE Royal Mint has produced its first debit card – and it’s made out of solid gold.
The 18-carat Mastercard is available to customers with Raris accounts – but they come with a hefty price tag.
Account holders will need to fork out £18,750 for the precious metal card, which will have the account holder’s name and signature engraved onto the front.
But outside of the initial costs, there are no other charges attached to the account and no special criteria account holders must meet to get one, those behind it said.
The design was introduced for those “who value high-quality luxury items that make a statement”, the Llantrisantbased Mint said.
Royal Mint chief executive Anne Jessopp added: “The Royal Mint is constantly innovating, and, as the UK’s leading precious metals solutions provider, we are hugely excited to launch the solid gold Raris card in acknowledgement of growing consumer demands for unique and luxury payments cards.
“In association with Mastercard and Accomplish Financial, Raris – the first payment card manufactured by the Royal Mint – is a combination of over 1,100 years of Royal Mint craftsmanship with tomorrow’s payment technology.”
The cards are hallmarked by the Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office and use source-traceable metals, certified under the Responsible Jewellery Council’s Chain of Custody.
Customers cannot use them to borrow as the funds come straight out of their account when they spend, but they do come with a number of benefits.
It’s not yet been revealed when the new gold card will be available to customers.