"Modifying" a card.

Without a hint of irony, Tiddy Ogg astounded uk.finance on 08 Jan 2005 by announcing:

Not from a technological point of view. Mint 'mc2' cards have one corner rounded (the bottom-right corner if you have the card facing you.)

Doesn't the PO Card have more but smaller lettering below the number which would be on the left when putting the card in? Or is there some problem in feeling this?

You're an old fashioned chap, you know, trying to fix the problem yourself. ;) You know the modern method: SUE! Go to the media, and cry on TV that you'll be traumatised forever, and so will your guide dog! Tell the government that you want a ban! Call for a country to be invaded!

OK, suing might be over the top.

As serious suggestions, though:

If the corners are rounded, straighten one of them - these cards *must* tolerate damage to the corners. Don't clip more than this off the corner, though. If you don't want to deal with the potential reaction of counter/shop staff when you hand them a clip-cornered card, stick a piece of tape on the "outside" end - Duck-type tape will be easily recognisable by feel, while also being durable enough to stay on the card when you put it in a wallet. Just make sure that whatever tape you use is thin enough to go through a swipe reader, or covers a small area so that the tape doesn't go into the reader.

No. There doesn't appear to be any expiry date etc. It was just a thought - I think the offset of the card number is enough, but some corner locator would have been easier.

stick a

I wondered about this too. Thanks. I may well start a campaign to get a corner rounded, as another subscriber informs us that one CC has such a thing.

Start with the RNIB? They seem to be listened to. (I speak as a sighted observer!)

I guess you could try and find a copy of whatever spec is used by card manufacturers and see if there's a part of the card which isn't required.

I'd probably go for a way of `marking` the card so that you can tell which corner it is without actually cutting it. Perhaps heat a pin with a cigarette lighter and make a litle rough patch in the corner (perhaps the underside of the card so it doesn't upset cashiers).

there is nothing wrong with cutting a very slight bit off the corner (or maybe sanding it down)

just just the top right hand bit off and if you are using it in a chip and pin type machine you will know that the card goes in face down with the cut bit facing up and to the right.

He may want to avoid cutting the card though. It's possible to imagine a chip card reader using any of the corners to check that a card has been inserted into the machine before proceeding.

Without a hint of irony, Alex astounded uk.finance on 09 Jan 2005 by announcing:

Seen a Mint MC2 card lately?

Most readers use the leading edge of the card. Certainly, all readers which don't completely 'swallow' the card (a l ATMs) will have no problem with modifications to the trailing edge.

Since the card is not square, but wider than it is tall, holding the card in "landscape" rather than "portrait" orientation, with the marked corner in the right place, already guarantees it's the right way up. There is no need to distinguish upper and lower faces by feel.

What if it's inside out?

A Klein card? Wacky!

As the original poster is blind he needs to be able to tell which side of the card is which and where the chip is.

what i am suggesting is basically copying the mint card by taking a (small) part o the corner off) by doing that you can tell wether or not the card is facing with the chip up or down and the card forwards or backwards......so in most card readers you would push the card in with the missing bit sticking out and facing forwards.