Mastercard Biometric bank card

Mastercard provided the biometric bank card in April, 2017. In the card the EMV chip and a sensing technology of a fingerprint are connected. It allows her holder a convenient and safe method to confirm the personality when shopping in outlets.

The Republic of South Africa is the first market in which this technology is started in the test mode. Two independent pilot projects were carried out: with the leading supermarket chain Pick n Pay and also with Absa bank, division of Barclays Africa.

Biometric cards are developed using a sensing technology of fingerprints which is already used for payment by the smartphone. They can be used in any POS terminal accepting cards with the EMV chip.

"More and more people open for themselves convenience and security of biometric technologies, – Adzhey Bkhalla, the president of MasterCard on security issues told. – Use of a fingerprint for removal of blocking of the smartphone or confirmation of purchase online is additional security and simplicity. It cannot be stolen or forged. Holders of biometric cards of MasterCard will be able to be engaged in routine cases, knowing that their payments are protected".

The holder makes out the card, registering the fingerprint in credit institution. After that the ciphered digital sample of a print which is stored on the card is created. The biometric card can be used worldwide in any POS terminal accepting cards with the EMV chip.

At payment of goods or services the biometric card works as well as any other. It needs to be inserted into the terminal and to put a finger to the sensor which is built in it to compare a print to the sample saved in the card. If they match, transaction will be confirmed. Thus, the card does not leave hands of her holder.

Transaction authentication by biometrics – in this case a fingerprint – a unique method to confirm that the card is in hands of her holder.

Trade and service points will be able easily to increase customer service quality, biometric cards work with already installed terminals without additional updates.

To issuers biometric identification will help to recognize and prevent fraudulent activity, to raise a share of the approved transactions, to reduce operating expenses and to support a customer loyalty. Besides, biometric cards will be issued with contactless technology of payment that will make shopping even more simply and more conveniently.

Trial starts in the Republic of South Africa with participation of staff of Pick n Pay supermarkets and Absa bank showed how thanks to implementation of biometric technology payment by the bank card can become even more convenient and safer.

In the coming months additional pilot projects are expected. Start of technology is planned during 2017.

Richard van Rensburg, the deputy CEO in Pick n Pay, noted: "We are glad that this innovative solution was tested for the first time in our shops in South Africa. The biometrics is an additional convenience and security to our buyers. Such solution gives even more opportunities to develop our strategy of personification of customer service. We are impressed with the level of protection and reasonableness of this technology".

Text start of biometric cards was carried out to Absa according to the strategy of bank meaning tests and development of difficult technological solutions to improve payment process and service, to reduce risks and to make banking more simply and even more safely for clients.

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