By Sarah Clark[1] • • nfcw.com[2]
The UK’s Royal Mint has unveiled a payment card that is produced entirely from 18-karat gold and comes with “no spending limit”.
Dubbed “the world’s first hallmarked precious metals payment card”, the new Raris[3] debit card is part of a growing trend in ultra-premium card formats.
Swiss jeweller Armillion, for instance, recently unveiled a contactless payment bracelet that is decorated with 252 cut diamonds[4], costs more than £60,000 (US$75,800) and can be used for purchases of up to £1m ($1.26m).
Launched in association with Mastercard[5] and Accomplish Financial[6], Raris is designed “for individuals who wish to access the exclusive benefits of a Raris account and for those who value high quality luxury items that make a statement,” the government-owned Royal Mint says.
“The prestigious 18-karat gold Raris card is personalised for each Raris account holder, with their name and signature directly engraved into the precious metal.”
The card includes a payment chip but no contactless logo and will cost £18,750 ($23,684).
