Card art is the graphic design of a payment card: its colours, imagery, logos and the placement of the cardholder's name, number and other elements. The term covers the front and back of the plastic and the digital image displayed when the card is added to a digital wallet or shown in a banking app.
Design is not free. Each card network publishes brand standards that fix the size and position of its acceptance mark, the chip, the contactless symbol and required text such as the issuer's name, and artwork must be submitted for approval before a programme launches. For a fintech programme, the request passes through the BIN sponsor, which is the network member, and approval is a common cause of launch delay. Approved artwork goes to the card manufacturer and personalization bureau for card personalization. Distinctive designs, vertical layouts and metal cards are used to market a card product, particularly a co-branded card.