Just as when we’re still transitioning to EMV chips for our cards in the country, Mastercard has just unveiled its latest technology, biometric cards.
Mastercard has combined chip technology with fingerprints for a safer card transaction. South Africa is the first market to try out this new technology. The new cards use the same fingerprint scanning technology used for mobile payments today and will work on any EMV terminals.
How does it work? First, a cardholder must register his or her fingerprints with their respective banks. The biometric data is then encrypted to the card. Using the new card is as simple as before with EMV cards. Just dip the card into the terminal and place your registered fingerprint onto the card’s sensor. The scanner draws power from the terminal to make it work.
Mastercard assures that it works with existing EMV card terminals around the globe with no upgrades required. Additional trials are planned for Europe and Asia Pacific in the coming months.
Source: Mastercard
