Eastern Bank Limited (EBL) in collaboration with SSBCL unveiled the exclusive Visa co-brand International Student Identity Card (ISIC), International Teacher Identity Card (ITIC) and International Youth Travel Card (IYTC) at a ceremony held in Dhaka on 22 December.
The co-branded prepaid cards come with EMV-secured chip technology and offer a number of exclusive benefits for the customers, including dual currency and great discounts at thousands of partnered lifestyle, shopping and dining merchants, among others, reads a press release.
This card will not only be used as payment card but also a student and teacher identity cards.
The cards will be usable for both domestic and international transactions.
The card comes with up to 65% discounts on study-related websites, gadgets, hotels and motels, movie theaters, car repairs, restaurants, gyms, coffee shops, and so on.
Sumon Talukder, head of operation for ISIC Appointed Office in Bangladesh and managing director of SSBCL Group, said, "The ISIC card is now issued to students in over 130 countries/territories. All bona fide students over the age of 12 can purchase an ISIC card at an affordable price. Via one single card, ISIC students gain preferential and discounted access to products, services and experiences relevant to all aspects of student life, from software licenses and cinema access, to bookstores, public transport, cafés and eateries."
Ali Reza Iftekhar, managing director and CEO of EBL, said, "We all know that an important prerequisite for establishing Digital Bangladesh is the maximum inclusion of our youth across digital financial platforms and the EBL ISIC Visa Prepaid Card, which is not just a payment card but rather a carefully designed financial tool with a number of value added services, can be an excellent first step towards financial inclusion for the young demographic of our country."
Soumya Basu, country manager of Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal at Visa, said, "Digital payments are expected to boost the country's GDP by 1.7% or an additional $6.2 billion and this adoption often happens at scale with a 'nex-gen' or next generation of consumers like students."
Khorshed Anowar, DMD and head of retail and SME banking, and Nahid Farzana, head of cards at EBL, were among those present on the occasion.
