MasterCard redesigns iconic logo for ‘digital age’

The red and yellow interlocking circles that have been synonymous with Purchase-based MasterCard Inc. for decades have received a modern update.

The payments and technology company rolled out its new logo Thursday, which it says is designed to position it to “thrive in the digital age.”

The new logo still has the red and yellow circles, though now they overlap rather than interlock. The MasterCard name in the title no longer has a capital “M” or “C,” either.

“To thrive in this new digital world where business moves faster than ever, we want to modernize and elevate the brand in a design that is simple and elegant, yet unquestionably MasterCard,” said Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer for MasterCard.

The change was announced along with an expansion of the company’s Masterpass digital payments service. Shoppers can use the service on their phone, creating a competitor to Apple Inc.’s Apple Pay. The service can now be used for in-store purchases. It was previously available only for purchases made on mobile, tablets and other devices.

The company explains the new logo, designed by the U.K. studio Pentagram, in this video: