What stages do cards go through until they reach the customer?
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The process for delivering cards (credit, debit, prepaid) to customers involves several steps. To briefly outline the lifecycle of the card:
- Card applications are received through various channels or at branches.
- Once the applications are collected, the cards are sent to the card printing company on a daily basis for physical card production. (Card statuses are generally printed as "Temporarily Closed" to prevent fraudulent use.)
- Cards sent in batches are printed, prepared, and categorized for delivery by couriers.
- Courier companies, contracted by the bank, pick up the cards from the card printing company according to their agreed-upon schedule.
- Concurrently, banks/electronic money institutions provide courier companies with details about the cards printed that day, including barcode numbers, product codes, delivery status to branches/addresses, addresses (differentiating by city/district code), whether it's a replacement card, and more.
- The cards received by the courier companies are entered into their main systems.
- All printed cards from various card printing companies and banks are sent to the courier company's main system.
- Barcode numbers on the physical card printing envelopes are read by the courier companies.
- The barcode numbers from the courier file sent by banks are matched with the barcode numbers on the cards. Using the city/district code provided in the courier file (via web service), all cards are physically separated based on the destination address.
- Cards separated by city/district code are further sorted based on distribution centers and prepared for delivery.
- A courier representative physically visits the designated address to deliver the card to the customer.
- Following the visit to the customer (whether the card was delivered, the customer was not present at the address, the customer refused the card, etc.), information is shared with the bank based on the barcode number.
- When the information reaches the bank that the card has been delivered to the customer, the card status is changed from "Temporarily Closed" to "Active" (Note: The card does not change to "Active" status if it is delivered to anyone other than the cardholder).
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Please note that this process ensures secure and accurate card delivery to customers.
