Solid 18-carat gold debit card could be yours - for £18,750
Shoppers who like the finer things in life will soon be able to splash out more than £18,000 on a new solid gold debit card.
The 18-carat hallmarked card produced by the Royal Mint will be personalised for account holders who "value high-quality luxury items that make a statement".
Those wanting to get their hands on one will have to fork out £18,750 - and for bespoke or personalised designs, the costs will be even higher.
The Royal Mint has developed the card along with Mastercard and payments tech firm Accomplish Financial.
The Mastercard cards, which are part of an account called Raris, will be personalised for customers, with their name and signature directly engraved into the precious metal.
There are no charges apart from the £18,750 fee, and cardholders do not need to meet any special criteria.
As well as being hallmarked by the Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office, the cards also use source-traceable metals, certified under the Responsible Jewellery Council’s Chain of Custody.
The Raris account benefits from zero foreign exchange or transaction fees.
As part of the Mastercard World Elite package, additional benefits include a dedicated concierge service and other travel benefits.
Mark Barnett, president, UK and Ireland at Mastercard, said: “This is a really exciting project, joining the outstanding heritage of the Royal Mint – 1,100 years of engineering and artistic expertise – and Mastercard’s focus on payment innovation and security, together with our worldwide acceptance network.
“Accomplish Financial ensures that the Raris card provides the perfect link between that heritage and the digital world.”