MasterCard and Zwipe have announced their partnership for the launch of the world’s first contactless payment card featuring an integrated fingerprint sensor. The launch of the card comes after a successful live pilot with Norway’s Sparebanken DIN, aligned to the Eika Group, as an answer to the complex challenge of providing a fast, convenient payment solution that does not compromise on security.
The Zwipe MasterCard payment card is the world’s first fingerprint authenticated contactless payment card. It includes an integrated biometric sensor and the Zwipe secure biometric authentication technology that holds the cardholder’s biometric data. It contains an EMV certified secure element and MasterCard’s contactless application.
The card is the first of its kind to combine the security of biometric authentication with the speed and convenience of contactless payment. Cardholder fingerprint data is stored directly on the card, not in an external database. After activation by a simple fingerprint scan, the Zwipe MasterCard card can be used to make contactless payments.
The biometric authentication replaces the PIN entry, thus enabling cardholders to make payments of any amount, unlike other contactless payment cards on the market.
Zwipe is now working on the next generation of its card that will be the same format as a standard card and designed to work with all payment terminals for release in 2015. This new card will harvest energy from the payment terminals without the need for a battery.
Speaking about the launch, Ajay Bhalla, President of Enterprise Security Solutions at MasterCard commented “Our belief is that we should be able to identify ourselves without having to use passwords or PIN numbers. 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.”
Kim Humborstad, founder and CEO of Zwipe, added, “Response to our pilot with Sparebanken DIN has been very positive. Cardholders love how easy the card is to use with the added security feature. We have also had exceptionally good reaction from retailers participating in the pilot.This pilot enabled the partners to gather valuable customer feedback, experience and best practice for the enrolment and deployment phase.”
“We will offer biometric authentication and contactless communication for all our cards since it combines convenience and security for both our cardholders and merchants” said Morten Danielsen, Business Development Director, Sparebanken DIN.
Starting in 2009, Zwipe challenged the status quo of identity verification by replacing PINs and passwords with fingerprint authentication. After developing the leanest, fastest, and most power efficient fingerprint algorithm in the world, Zwipe continued disrupting the industry through its patented energy harvesting technology. No longer dependent on batteries, Zwipe fingerprint authentication technologyharvest the energy needed from already existing access, transport, border control and financial infrastructures.
Banking 4.0 – „how was the experience for you”
„So many people are coming here to Bucharest, people that I see and interact on linkedin and now I get the change to meet them in person. It was like being to the Football World Cup but this was the World Cup on linkedin in payments and open banking.”
Many more interesting quotes in the video below:
