Ceramic, Metal or Plastic? The Payment Card a G+D Card Expert Actually Uses

Quick Summary

G+D offers banks in Saudi Arabia full ceramic, metal, wooden and eco-friendly plastic payment cards. So which one does the company's own Regional Sales Manager carry? In a light moment from the FF News Virtual Arena, Bassel El Sabban admits he has several plastic cards and two metal cards, and is still hoping to qualify for a ceramic card.

Which payment card does Bassel El Sabban use?

After hearing about G+D's range of premium card materials, FF News host Ian Horne put a simple question to Bassel El Sabban, Regional Sales Manager for Saudi Arabia at G+D: "I like the variation of the cards, ceramic and metal, that's quite fun. But which one are you using, Bassel?" The answer was refreshingly honest. "I have several plastic cards, I have two metal cards, and I hope I will be eligible to get a ceramic card," El Sabban said, to which Horne replied that the ceramic card is the one he wants as well.

What premium card materials does G+D offer in Saudi Arabia?

Earlier in the same answer, El Sabban set out the range G+D brings to issuers in the Kingdom. It includes:

• A unique full ceramic card, which he describes as an extremely premium product.
• A range of metal cards.
• Wooden cards.
• An eco-friendly plastic card range.

He also stresses that a standard plastic card can still be a premium product with G+D, through design, material, special finishes, effects and technology that create a completely different experience for the cardholder.

Why does card choice matter to banks?

El Sabban frames premium cards as a way for issuers to differentiate, innovate and create better experiences for their clients, rather than simply supplying a product. That the ceramic card is aspirational even for someone who sells it says something about why banks use top-tier materials to reward and retain their most valuable customers.

FF NEWS TAKE:

A 20-second exchange, but a telling one. When a card specialist with two metal cards in his wallet still wants the ceramic one, the physical card as status symbol is clearly alive and well. For Saudi issuers competing for premium customers, that desire is exactly the lever G+D is selling.