Citi Prestige Design Change

[nyancat]

This may be a bit of a nitpick, but since so many people say it it needs pointed out. The magnetic stripe was not on the front and the chip was not on the back. No card, ever, has the magnetic stripe on the front or the chip on the back. Why? Because those are the two elements that are defined on the card per ISO 7811-2 (magstripe) and ISO 7816-2 (chip). 

Instead, the signature panel was on the front of the card.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for letting us know!

[Anonymous]

Any update? Did you get your new card? 

Does it look like http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/SmorgasBoard/Could-the-Citi-Premier-Prestige-be-having-a-new-design/...

I heard on FT that someone's new card is matte instead of glossy, but still has stripe on (what we perceive as) the front / chip on back.

[Jmill79]

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@nyancat wrote:

This may be a bit of a nitpick, but since so many people say it it needs pointed out. The magnetic stripe was not on the front and the chip was not on the back. No card, ever, has the magnetic stripe on the front or the chip on the back. Why? Because those are the two elements that are defined on the card per ISO 7811-2 (magstripe) and ISO 7816-2 (chip). 

Instead, the signature panel was on the front of the card.

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Correct, its IS a nitpick.  And the argument is just as stupid each and every time you bring it up (which is every single thread which complains (rightfully so) about the Citi card design.

[nyancat]

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@Jmill79 wrote:

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@nyancat wrote:

This may be a bit of a nitpick, but since so many people say it it needs pointed out. The magnetic stripe was not on the front and the chip was not on the back. No card, ever, has the magnetic stripe on the front or the chip on the back. Why? Because those are the two elements that are defined on the card per ISO 7811-2 (magstripe) and ISO 7816-2 (chip). 

Instead, the signature panel was on the front of the card.

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Correct, its IS a nitpick.  And the argument is just as stupid each and every time you bring it up (which is every single thread which complains (rightfully so) about the Citi card design.

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I can understand how it's a nitpicky pet peeve, but how do you claim it's stupid? ISO standards are stupid? It's very clear where the elements are. E.g. when Discover had the back of the card printed upside down, a lot of people said they put the magnetic stripe on the bottom. But they didn't, they printed the text upside down. Same thing (and they reverted that because users found it confusing).

The reason this matters is in directions and stuff, e.g. if customers think the side with the magnetic stripe is the front, then a full dip reader that suggests the front of the card should be facing up with result in a failed read. They need to understand, the chip is always the left front and the magstripe is always the top back, no matter how the other printing is oriented and where the other design elements are. Things are less confusing that way. If when people refer to "front" of the card they always mean, as specified, chip side.

[davew773]

Just got my new card. Seems a bit thicker than the last and stripe is on the back. Blue design is no longer transparent.

Name on front and back and CC number on back. The blurriness is just the obfuscation of my info.

[DrZoidberg]

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@nyancat wrote:

This may be a bit of a nitpick, but since so many people say it it needs pointed out. The magnetic stripe was not on the front and the chip was not on the back. No card, ever, has the magnetic stripe on the front or the chip on the back. Why? Because those are the two elements that are defined on the card per ISO 7811-2 (magstripe) and ISO 7816-2 (chip). 

Instead, the signature panel was on the front of the card.

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What's easier? Tell the cashier "the stripe is on the front" or to tell them "swipe the stripe that is on the back of the card per the ISO standards. For all intents and purposes......it's on the front. 

[nenuco]

I know for some this is a superficial topic, but I think you can have smarts and beauty- look at the CSP  I doubt most people will drop this card because of the design, as perks are more important. That said, I would not complain if the card were made out of metal or another sturdy material. I received the new card, and prefer the old design. I think they could have switched the placement of the magnetic strip to the back without bring the chip to the front. That would have made the card look much more unique. The info that is on the back seems to be just a sticker, hopefully that doesn't fall of anytime soon. I wonder who is in charge of designing this card as well as the rest of Citi's portfolio. 

[nyancat]

nenuco, that would have broke the card functionally. Remember those ISO standards I mentioned? They exist for a reason. If a reader is designed to read both the chip and the stripe, as many are, they need to be in the same relative places. Full-dip readers like ATMs and AFDs tend to be the kind with these readers, though countertop and PIN pad full dip terminals are not unheard of. I wish they'd been a more popular choice in the US as it'd have reduced confusion with the EMV switch as chip and non-chip cards are functionally identical in them (except the non-chip card is removed sooner).