Maestro is a multi-national debit card service owned by MasterCard. Maestro cards are obtained from associate banks and can be linked to the card holder’s current account, or they can be prepaid cards. The cardholder presents the card at the point of sale (POS) and this is swiped through the terminal by the assistant or the customer or inserted into a chip and PIN device. The payment is authorised by the card issuer to ensure that the cardholder has sufficient funds in their account to make the purchase and the cardholder confirms the payment by either signing the sales receipt or entering their 4 to 6-digit PIN. Within the EU and certain other countries, Maestro is MasterCard’s main debit brand and is the equivalent of signature debit card which does not require electronic authorisation, similar to the Visa Debit card.

With a Maestro card, you can use it at ATMs with the red-blue Maestro logo and in person. Maestro is only issued as a debit card, which means it’s tied directly to your account, and the money is posted immediately after a transaction.

Payment with a Maestro card is either authorized by entering your PIN or by signature. ATM withdrawals are only authorized by PIN.