Donor Card

Germany has the lowest organ donation rate among European countries, and it suffers for it—nearly 1,000 people die every year while awaiting a donor. This, despite overwhelming public support (85%) for organ donation. The problem lies in record-keeping: due to complicated and fragmented processes, only 15.3% of German citizens officially document their consent.

Leveraging the insight that 86% of Germans carry their bank cards daily, Mastercard creatively embedded legal organ donor registration into the cards, simplifying a lifesaving decision into a routine financial transaction. Strategic collaborations with trusted medical influencers and emotionally resonant storytelling further amplified consumer trust and acceptance.

The “Life Donor Card” quickly achieved remarkable results, with approximately 50% of targeted users adopting the card immediately upon issuance. Demonstrating substantial potential scalability across 178 million German bank cards, this innovation significantly increased documented donor consent, fundamentally reshaped public health infrastructure and positioned Mastercard as a leader in purposeful innovation and societal impact.