How MasterCard uses fingerprint sensors in payment cards

Yesterday, Mastercard has launched a biometric card that comes with an embedded fingerprint scanner for card payments. This lets users place their fingerprint on the sensor instead of entering PIN number during the transaction.

As of now, the trailing is over in South Africa and has some additional trials as well in Europe and Asia Pacific. Alternatively, users can take a two-tier authentication approach and use both their PIN and fingerprint to approve the purchase.

Before all this, the user must register their fingerprint with the bank or financial institution that issued the card, and the fingerprint is encrypted on the card itself.

While, the company is expected to roll out contactless payment soon enough, for the testing, users need to insert the card into the POS terminal and then place their finger on the reader to authenticate the payment.

“Consumers are increasingly experiencing the convenience and security of biometrics,” said Ajay Bhalla, president, enterprise risk and security, Mastercard in a statement.

“Whether unlocking a smartphone or shopping online, the fingerprint is helping to deliver additional convenience and security. It’s not something that can be taken or replicated and will help our cardholders get on with their lives knowing their payments are protected.”