To simplify online purchases, the numbers printed on bank cards will disappear

Card number, expiration date, security key will no longer be visible. The future more secure system must make it possible to fight against piracy.

If you have renewed your bank card recently, you may have already noticed that the number, in November, is no longer embossed on the front, but is printed small on the back. It is above all a question of aesthetics to have a clean design. Since with the smart card, the shoes which made it possible to take an imprint have become obsolete. In the coming years, all the numbers should disappear: the card number, the expiration date and the famous security key. There will only be your name left. A change planned in the CB, Visa and Mastercard payment networks.

This is not for aesthetic reasons, it will mainly be to simplify purchases on the internet.
These numbers today are only used to be copied to validate the card on the internet. Tomorrow, when we click on payment by credit card, Visa or Mastercard, instead of entering all the famous figures. All you need to do is give your email address or telephone number (the identifier linked to your bank card). You will then receive a notification on your bank's application, which you will need to validate with your fingerprints or facial recognition. It's similar to what we know today with PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay. This is called “tokenization” and “click to pay”.

These technologies now implemented directly by major payment networks have several advantages. There is no longer a card number, so no more risk of it being hacked, intercepted or even photocopied. We remind you: bank card fraud is seven times more important on the internet than in physical stores.

How do I book a hotel by phone? This is the main difficulty of the project: ensuring that all merchants switch to the new system. For example, they can take a pre-authorization simply with your email or phone number. This is why the first cards without any number will only arrive around 2030. Until the entire ecosystem is ready to welcome them.