Maestro - carry all the money you need without having a penny on you

• Purchases with Maestro - easy money
• Fees and limits - Maestro
• Where is Maestro an accepted form of payment? 
• Security and support

The master of banking - Maestro

Maestro was introduced in 1992 by MasterCard Worldwide and, in addition to cashless payments, offers card holders the possibility to withdraw cash at ATMs. The Maestro card is a debit card with which you can access your own bank account directly during purchases or withdrawals, in marked contrast to MasterCard credit cards. Those with the typical blue and red Maestro logo on the front side of their bank card know automatically that their card can be used worldwide.

In countries such as Great Britain or Austria, the MasterCard SecureCode process (which is explained further down under the heading “Security”) has already been introduced, thanks to which nothing stands in the way of using the Maestro card for online purchases. Additional countries such as, for example, Switzerland and Germany will soon follow.

How do I make purchases with Maestro?

Basically, the card is inserted into the card slot available at the checkout or cash machine at an accepted location and the amount to be paid is confirmed by the card holder with his or her individual PIN or signature. An online payment can only be carried out when certain card features are implemented when the card is issued. Maestro cards in countries such as Great Britain, Spain or Austria also have, in addition to the imprinted Maestro card number, a CVV number (card verification value) on the back side of the card and the Maestro SecureCode (explained further down under the heading “Security”) of the issuing bank. Only when a card possesses all of these details is it ready to be used for online transactions. During an online purchase, merely all the card details need to be entered into the payment or payout window of the online vendor to start the money transfer. The amount will be deducted and automatically transferred within a few workdays.

Fees and limits

The card issuing banks set the rate of fees for the card issuance, authorization and transactions. The fees are normally charged to the account to which the Maestro card is issued. Inquire at your bank about the present conditions, or refer to the general terms of business. Customers can fully exhaust the extent of credit on their account, whereas individual banks usually set a daily limit for cash withdrawals at cash machines. The limit set on transfers depends on the extent of credit on the account, which is agreed upon by the customer and bank. You can pay with Maestro at over 11 million accepted locations in over 93 countries worldwide, including in the online gaming sector at countless bookmakers and casinos.  Most online providers such as PokerStars offer Maestro as a payment as well as a payout option.

Support and security

This payment card is available in over 93 countries. For nearly all countries a specific website in the national language has been created. In order to maintain the highest security standards possible for customers, MasterCard introduced the “MasterCard Secure Code” for both credit cards and Maestro. With this service an additional input field is activated during online payments, through which the card holder is connected with his or her bank. With the input of the correct "secure code" (password), the buyer is confirmed as the card holder. It is strictly recommended that credit card details only be sent over SSL-encrypted connections. Card holders should contact their issuing bank with questions or problems with their Maestro cards, or in an emergency the appropriate Maestro agency of their country.

• Card cancellation:
  Austria: 0800 204 8800
  Germany: +49 (0)18 0502 1021
  UK: +44 (0)20 7557 5000
  USA: 1-800-627-8372 (MasterCard Assistance Center - toll free)

• Contact addresses Austria / Germany:
  MasterCard Europe
  Bockenheimer Anlage 15
  D-60322 Frankfurt am Main
  Telephone: +49 (0)06 9971 2100
  E-mail: Frankfurt@mastercard.com

• Contact addresses Switzerland:
  Telekurs Multipay AG
  Hardturmstrasse 201
  CH-8021 Zürich
  Telephone: +41 (0)4 4832 9111
  E-mail: info.multipay@telekurs.com

• Europe:
  MasterCard Europe sprl
  Chaussée de Tervuren 198A
  B-1410 Waterloo, Belgium
  Telephone: +32 2 352 5111