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| Biometrics, Are you in the net? |
MasterCard has made a big step forward toward requiring biometric identification in order to use its card to make purchases. They have developed the world's first credit card equipped with a fingerprint scanner. We are getting closer to the time when people will be required to have the mark of the beast in order to buy and sell.
MasterCard adds fingerprint scanner to credit cards
MasterCard is set to offer the world's first credit card equipped with a fingerprint scanner in an effort to minimise fraud.
The payments provider has teamed up with Norwegian biometrics company Zwipe in the UK to offer customers an embedded fingerprint scanner that will store a user's thumbprint within their credit card.
The fingerprint scanner will interact with MasterCard's contactless payment offering to allow customers to tap and pay, bypassing a signature or PIN, and certifying the transaction with their fingerprint.
The move is aimed at preventing thieves from abusing the contactless payment option with stolen credit cards by asking for a 'digital signature' - the fingerprint.
The sensor reads a user's fingerprint in under a second, and compares it with the fingerprint record stored within the card. If both match, the transaction goes ahead. The scanner is powered by the payment terminals, removing the need for a battery.
Zwipe's MasterCard credit card was trialled in a limited fashion in partnership with Norwegian bank Sparebanken DIN, which has since said it will use the technology in all its cards.
The cards will now be rolled out more widely in the UK. Neither MasterCard nor Zwipe commented on the prospect of a global rollout.
"Our belief is that we should be able to identify ourselves without having to use passwords or PIN numbers," Ajay Bhalla, president of enterprise security solutions at MasterCard, said in a statement.
"Biometric authentication can help us achieve this. However, our challenge is to ensure the technology offers robust security, simplicity of use and convenience for the customer. Zwipe's first trial is a significant milestone and its results are very encouraging."
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