UK challenger bank Starling has completed its first live card payments ahead of its launch in January 2017.
Starling is partnering with MasterCard to issue fully functioning contactless debit cards to accompany its mobile banking app. The app will connect what is spent on the card with predictive insights, financial wellness, and money management tools.
Julian Sawyer, COO of Starling Bank, says: "Partnering with Mastercard for our debit card means our customers will be able to use this to complement our full set of banking features - including direct access to Faster Payments, direct debit, and overdrafts - in a secure and convenient way."
Sawyer emphasises that the fledgeling bank is still in the earliest phases of testing its cards, describing the development as a "huge step" for Starling.
"We have the licence, the technology, and now the card," he says. "All that’s left is to bring you the app.”