IDEMIA Secure Transactions partners with BNL BNP Paribas to enhance sustainability and accessibility offers

IDEMIA Secure Transactions joins forces with Italian bank BNL BNP Paribas to elevate responsible business practices with a focus on sustainability and accessibility.

Enhancing Sustainable Practices

At a time when consumers are becoming increasingly eco-conscious, choosing more sustainable products and services is an important move. In a global consumer survey, 69% of respondents stated that they would prefer to have an eco-friendly payment card option.¹

In line with these market demands and the efforts by both partners to move to greener business practices, IDEMIA Secure Transactions and BNL have initiated the provision of payment cards made from recycled PVC. The use of sustainable materials is also being applied to packaging—including the cover letter, PIN letter, and envelopes—that is now exclusively printed on recycled paper.

Moreover, in a strategic move to reduce paper consumption, BNL has embraced IDEMIA’s Digital Insert solution, which enables BNL customers to receive their personalized card-related information in digital formats. This is accomplished by a QR code embedded in the card carrier, which directs customers to a digital page with all the necessary information, eliminating the need to send additional printed materials through the post.

Enhancing Accessibility

This transformative approach not only addresses environmental concerns but also extends to financial inclusion in the form of accessibility. Beginning this year, IDEMIA Secure Transactions and BNL have launched debit cards with a semicircular cut on the side. This “notch” aims to assist visually impaired customers in easily recognizing their cards, thus allowing them to conduct transactions more independently and confidently. In subsequent phases, credit cards and prepaid cards will adopt a lateral cut, featuring a triangular design for prepaid cards and a square design for credit cards.

With the European Accessibility Act coming into force in 2025, specifically addressing the improvement of accessibility in banking services, this shift toward more accessible products and services holds significant importance.

These subtle yet impactful changes in daily practice underscore IDEMIA’s role in empowering banks like BNL to fulfill their commitment to integrating ethical and responsible considerations for social and environmental concerns into their decision-making processes.

We are extremely proud to have been selected by BNL as the partner providing more sustainable payment solutions and enhancing accessibility for BNL’s customers. In a world where sustainable solutions are increasingly crucial and the importance of inclusion and accessibility is widely recognized, IST strongly focuses on assisting our customers to reinforce their sustainability, inclusion, and accessibility missions with enhanced offerings.
Eric Vernhes, Payment Services Business Director in Southern Europe, IDEMIA Secure Transactions

¹ 2024 ad-hoc global independent survey conducted by Dentsu Insights