SAN FRANCISCO – BANKFIRST, under a licensing arrangement with MasterCard, has announced the availability of a debit card which authorizes transactions with a personal identification number for the use of individuals without depository accounts. The card, which is marketed as a BanXcard, is designed for individuals without bank accounts, who can avoid high transaction fees by going to a BanXcard retailer to have their cash or payroll check proceeds stored on the card. The cardholder can then, without delay, use the debit card feature to purchase goods or go to a nearby ATM and obtain needed cash. Mary Gwynn, Vice President of BanX Inc., could not readily say why the company had not simply sought to brand the card with the MasterCard logo so it could be used at all retailers that accept MasterCard. "To tell the truth that decision was made before I joined the company," she said, "although I believe the company had research that indicated more consumers trusted cards which validate their transactions with pins than with signatures."