Mastercard Maestro is the debit card brand launched by Mastercard International in 1991 as the world’s first online point-of-sale debit network, giving cardholders secure access to their money wherever they were.[1] The brand was phased out in Europe starting July 1, 2023, when banks and card issuers began replacing expired or lost Maestro cards with Debit Mastercard products.[1]
Design and History
When Mastercard International officially adopted Maestro as the brand name for its planned international online debit card in July 1991, the Maestro mark was designed to be placed next to the marks of existing local, regional, and national card systems worldwide. The logo featured Mastercard’s familiar interlocking circles, but in blue and red, the colors of the Eurocheque logo.[2] The first Maestro logos, white within blue and red interlocking circles, were added to ATM cards by early 1992.[3]In July 2016, Mastercard unveiled a redesigned brand identity created by Pentagram, the first update to its consumer-facing logo in 20 years.[4] The new design was applied across all of the company’s sub-brands, including Maestro.[5] The updated Mastercard mark simplified the interlocking circles, removed the wordmark from inside the circles, and introduced a lowercase sans-serif logotype in FF Mark.[6]Meaning and Symbolism
The Maestro Brand Mark is comprised of the Maestro circles, an associated trademark symbol, and the word “maestro” followed by a registered trademark symbol. According to Mastercard’s official brand guidelines, there is no symbol-only version of the Maestro Brand Mark; the word “maestro” must always be included.[7]The Maestro mark uses three official colors: Maestro Red (RGB 235/0/27, HEX EB001B), Maestro Purple (RGB 115/117/207, HEX 7375CF), and Maestro Blue (RGB 0/162/229, HEX 00A2E5).[7] The trademark symbol next to the blue circle must be reproduced in Maestro Blue for digital use.[7]Typography and Design
The Maestro Brand Mark is available in both vertical and horizontal configurations, with full-color, grayscale, and solid versions for use on light or dark backgrounds. On physical cards, the mark must be printed in full-color match PANTONE only.[7] The decal sticker version, used to signify acceptance at retail locations, is comprised of the Maestro Brand Mark on a black background and is available in full-color only.[7]Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
