Payment facilitator Visa going for a facelift

Visa International, one of the world's leading payment facilitator will don a new look in the coming months. The company has announced its plans to evolve its brand identity and structure which includes a new look for its famous blue, white and gold visa logo.

In a company release, Christopher Rodrigues, president and CEO, Visa International said, " The refreshed Visa look is to ensure the brand remains relevant to the consumers."

The ubiquitous Visa dove hologram on the front of the card will be moved to the back and be integrated with the magnetic stripe.

According to the company, this would be done to make card counterfeiting more difficult while allowing a larger part of the front of the card to be used for new issuer designs and communications. It will also allow for a new card format that will complement the issuer's own brand.

Santanu Mukherjee, country manager- South Asia, Visa International stated that the new brand guidelines will be made available to Visa member banks and card manufacturers in June 2005.

The actual card changes will take place over the next three years. This means banks can start issuing new cards with the updated design by the end of 2005.

Visa International has informed that it will work with member banks, merchants, vendor partners and law enforcement agencies to explain the changes.