Praxell, Arroweye and ABnote Combine ID and Debit Card Payments

Prepaid card program manager Praxell is partnering with card marketer and producer Arroweye Solutions and identity provider ABnote to produce a card that combines municipal identification and payments.

The card program, developed by SF Global for the city of Oakland, Calif., is meant primarily for the unbanked community.

Praxell is managing the card program, and Sunrise Banks of St. Paul, Minn., issues the cards. The debit element addresses users’ lack of access to banking services.

Arroweye’s technology manages the customization required to produce the cards, which include the user’s photo and other personal identification information. ABnote adds technology to guard against reproduction and tampering.

Prepaid cards command a large share of the unbanked market, even for products promoted by banks — half of the users of Chase’s Liquid prepaid cards are underbanked consumers.

Payments can also be used as a gateway to financial inclusion, with prepaid cards gradually giving way to broader financial relationships.