The Maestro Card

Maestro Card

Maestro is a debit card service that is owned by MasterCard. Maestro cards can be obtained from banks associated with MasterCard and are linked to a customer’s account. Maestro cards can also be prepaid cards.

How It Works

These cards use the PIN system to make POS (Point of sale) purchases. The card is swiped through the terminal and must be authorized by the issuer in order to verify are sufficient funds in the account to cover the purchase. The cardholder must enter a 4 or 6-digit pin number or sign the sales receipt to confirm the transaction.

Where Can the Maestro Card Be Used?

The Maestro card is accepted worldwide, but in countries in the middle-East, its competition has taken over and it can only be used to withdraw cash from certain ATM machines.

In the United States the Maestro network is closely related to Cirrus ATM, which is also owned by MasterCard. A PIN-based debit card system is used and they mainly use a card and PIN without a chip.  All of the debit transactions using a signature are handled through the main MasterCard system.

When to use a Prepaid Maestro Card

1. If you want to give someone a gift, a Maestro prepaid card is accepted worldwide.
2. If you are unable to open a bank account or get a credit card, with Maestro prepaid card, you don’t need credit.
3. If you want to help your children or young adults develop good spending habits; they can only use what you load onto the card.
4. If you have an elderly loved one that is still independent; a Maestro card gives them the flexibility of a credit card, but it limits the amount they can spend.

The Maestro card has many benefits, depending on what you are looking for in a debit card.  They can be given as gifts, used to pay bills, shop online, or even taken on a trip. As with any prepaid debit card, please review the fees before signing up.