Maestro Casinos

Maestro Card Introduction

Maestro is a service that is owned by MasterCard. It provides its customers with multi-national debit cards that can be obtained from associate banks. The Maestro card allows the customer to make PIN based direct cash access transactions from your bank account either at home or abroad. These cards can either be linked to the cardholder’s current account, or can be used as a prepaid card.

The Maestro logo on your debit card provides you with some totally comforting service. It allows you to access your money from anywhere in the world with a number of vendors. The Maestro service is backed by MasterCard Worldwide, and this makes it fast, safe and reliable. Whether it is a shop, restaurant, cash machine or an online transaction, the Maestro card provides world class service with minimum fuss in over a 100 countries. In many countries like the EU, Maestro is the premier debit brand and is on the same level as Visa Debit, Visa Electron. The Maestro card is MasterCard’s tertiary card.

How does Maestro Work?

The Maestro Card functions like any other debit card. The cardholder can choose to link the card to his/her bank account, or purchase prepaid credit. Once the credit is loaded on the card, the card is ready for use. In order to use the card, the customer presents the card at the Point of Sale and the card is swiped, or the number is entered (for Card Not Present or CNP transactions such as over the telephone or on the internet). The card is then verified to check if the cardholder possesses sufficient funds to make the transaction. After the card is verified, the cardholder then enters a PIN to confirm the purchase. The PIN number is typically a 4 to 6 digit number.

In order to secure your transaction, Maestro cards use the MasterCard’s SecureCode, which is a code that is known only to the cardholder and the issuing bank. This code is requested when the transaction is being processed online. Other security measures include embossed numbers that extend into the hologram, a tamper evident signature panel, a hologram image with interlocking globes that appear to move when the card is rotated, and a Holomag which combines the functionality of a magnetic code with a hologram to prevent card counterfeiting.

Maestro Pros and Cons

Despite the Maestro card being quick, safe and reliable, it has certain drawbacks. The main one being that many countries and casinos do not accept Maestro cards, however it is accepted at around 9 million outlets including many online casinos. Another problem with the Maestro card is that many transactions to online casinos are rejected.

Apart from these minor issues, the Maestro card continues to be very popular with users and vendors alike. In fact, in many countries, it is MasterCard’s premier debit and ATM card. As with any other debit card, the Maestro card helps ensure that you do not spend beyond your means. These features combined with the safety and security of the card, as well as the branding provided by MasterCard makes the Maestro an ideal choice while making deposits or withdrawals at online casinos.