Laser was a debit card scheme in Ireland between 1996 and 2014. The Laser scheme was maintained and operated by Laser Card Services Ltd., a not for profit body owned by four leading financial institutions in Ireland and overseen since 2008 by the Oversight Unit of the Central Bank. The scheme was launched in 1996, and in 2010, there were almost three million Laser cards in circulation. 195 million transactions worth almost €11.2 billion were carried out on those cards in 2009. From 2007, the financial institutions which had issued Laser cards began to replace them with Visa or MasterCard debit cards. Laser cards were withdrawn from the market on 28 February 2014. Use Laser was primarily an electronic point of sale debit card, but could also be used by telephone and internet, at ATMs and to pay regular bills by direct debit. When purchasing goods or services with a Laser card up to €100 cashback could be given to cardholders and this value was simply added to the purchase price. Some retailers set a lower maximum cashback value, depending on what cash was available to them in the till or their own policy. Many Irish businesses that operate online accepted Laser cards prior to their discontinuation. From 2005, some Laser card holders were provided with co branded Laser/Maestro cards; from 1 January 2008, all Laser cards were co branded. The co branded cards were chip and PIN cards with both Laser and Maestro functions. The Laser facility was for use in the Republic of Ireland only whereas the Maestro facility was, in theory, used both domestically and internationally, but international Maestro payments were quite often rejected. The Maestro facility was not usable internationally online or by telephone. While it was possible for any bank in the Single Euro Payments Area, regardless of location, to join the Laser card scheme, no interest in joining the scheme was expressed by banks outside Ireland. Participating financial institutions In 2007, Halifax Ireland announced that it would be the first bank in the Republic of Ireland to offer a Visa Debit card rather than the Laser debit card (Halifax was never a member of Laser Card Services Limited). In 2008, Ulster Bank dropped Laser, in favour of Visa Debit. Permanent TSB withdrew Laser cards and began to replace them with Visa Debit cards in September 2010. In the end of October 2010, Bank of