Maestro is a brand of debit cards and prepaid cards owned by Mastercard that was introduced in 1991. It is widely accepted at around fifteen million point of sale outlets in 93 countries. Maestro cards can be used for in-store payments, withdrawing cash at ATMs, and some cards also enable payment for online purchases. Maestro is a PIN-based debit card network closely related to the Cirrus ATM network, also owned by Mastercard. Maestro cards can only be used as debit cards, meaning they only have access to the funds on the owner’s bank account, while a Mastercard can be issued as a debit card or a credit card. Maestro is especially popular in Europe, with around 400 million Maestro cards in circulation around the world. Starting July 1, 2023, Mastercard will phase out Maestro across Europe, and European banks and other card issuers will be required to replace expired or lost Maestro cards with Debit Mastercard.
In addition to the debit card brand, "maestro" can also refer to a master in an art, especially an eminent composer, conductor, or teacher of music.
