The content is accurate at the time of publication and is subject to change.

Perhaps it is still going to take a long time for the credit card industry to become purely consumer-oriented and offer credit card products which are an exceptional fit for one's individual tastes and needs. However, we cannot say that nothing is being done in this direction.

As far as credit cards' design is concerned, some card issuers have already adopted the practice of imprinting images of your own choice on your plastic. Your family, friends, pets, favorite sports team or wildlife - all these images can please your eye whenever you pull out your card to pay.

Some companies go as far as to add a special smell to your plastic so as to make credit card use most enjoyable. But Capital One seems to have out bidden all their rivals in respect of customers' satisfaction with their services and specific options.

Today all customers of Capital One bank are offered a new tempting option designed to make and keep them more and longer loyal. While the design may not seem so significant a credit card feature, almost all customers take to carrying their own photo or the image of their beloved pet on their plastic card.

Credit cards have not only insinuated themselves to our trust and favor as the most convenient an up-to-date tool of managing money, they have also become the means to express oneself and estimate the financial status of other people.

Capital one credit card products are believed to be much more advanced than others in point of expressing one's individuality through cover images, as well as through personal preferences in credit card rates, fees and terms.

No, there is no mistake. Capital One, with other banks following, is aiming at giving its customers more power and control for making decisions concerning their credit card accounts and plastics themselves.

Introducing Capital One Card Lab last year, the bank knew it very well that the ability to build their own credit card by giving it personally chosen terms, rates and rewards, will make customers more confident and responsible of their choice.

The transparency acquired by the credit card deal as a result of combining the chosen features was expected to give a greater guarantee that a holder would avoid debt and it does work!

The growing number of customers applying for Capital One credit cards mostly for the option to individualize their plastics and make a most appropriate and beneficial deal through Capital One Card Lab proves the fact that people like to exercise control over their credit card matters.

And Capital One can demonstrate certain success in giving customers this control.

As to the personalized image option available for all the customers of the bank, it is easy to upload and absolutely free of charge. All you have to do is to go to the official web site of the bank, upload your own image (a photo of a friend, relative or pet) or choose an image from the gallery and wait for the issuer's approval.

Almost all the images are approved at once and a newly looking credit card is mailed to the owner at no cost. All the features of the credit card such as APRs, fees and other charges remain the same, so a customer needn't be afraid that the change of the look will entail a hike in interest rate or some new fee.

Enabling people to customize their plastics in respect of the look and terms, the bank is very likely to extend its customer base even further, with its current base of all credit ratings, their individual tastes and requirements.