The UK's Newcastle Building Society is installing Nomad Software's outsourced debit card issuing service, Debit Direct, which it will use to issue customers with Maestro payment cards.
Nomad Debit Direct is an online and EMV compliant service for the issuing, processing and acquiring of debit cards. The service is based on the vendor's Cortex software and enables financial firms to issue fully functional, own branded debit payment cards.
The Newcastle will use the system to issue debit cards to customers for the first time. Transactions will be processed and authorised 24/7 and an online feed will be provided to society's core system. The Nomad service will also manage all card production and personalisation as well as PIN mailers.
Colin Greaves, general manager at the society, says: "This outsourced model has ensured that Newcastle Building Society can provide this enhanced service for its members at a reduced risk.
"Not only are the typical costs associated with entering the card market using an in-house system prohibitive, but with the rise in consumer concern in electronic and card based fraud, we were at pains to find a solution that could address these issues head-on, while providing a cost effective service."
As well as using the system in-house, The Newcastle will offer the issuing service to other building societies via its subsidiary, Newcastle Strategic Solutions Ltd (NSSL).