UK-based digital banking group Starling Bank announced on Wednesday the launch of its second debit card for personal accounts, Connect. According to Starling, the Connected card has been designed to help personal account customers who are self-isolating during the COVID-19 pandemic and are relying on others to help get them the essential they need (groceries, medication, etc.). The card, which is protected by a pin and has a balance limit of £200, is secure and only permits users to spend in-store and not online.
While sharing more details about the card, Anne Boden, Founder and CEO of Starling Bank, stated that she and her team know that getting in essential items during the pandemic is a challenge for those who are self-isolating at this time:
“We came up with a solution to help our customers pay for supplie s bought for them by trusted friends and neighbors without the hassle of transferring money or handling cash.”
Personal account customers may apply for a Connected card on their Starling Bank app, and the card will be delivered to their registered address in 3-5 business days. The launch of the new debit cards comes just days after Starling Bank announced the launch of its mobile cheque deposit services. The digital bank revealed that customers may now “capture” an image of the cheque and its mobile app will “read the details” to place the funds into the account.
Cheque deposit feature is now available to all Starling Bank customers with UK personal, joint, sole trader or limited company business accounts and works for all cheques of up to £500. Starling Bank further reported its customers will still have the option to use a free postal service to process any cheque or cheques more than £500 by placing their cheques in the post for free.