Mastercard certifies first contactless biometric payment card from Thales and Fingerprint Cards

The biometric payment card offered by Thales Group with a Fingerprint Cards sensor has been announced as the first contactless fingerprint payment card certified by Mastercard to its new program for assessing key aspects of the technology. Gemalto tweeted the news out recently, and Frederic Martinez of Thales Biometric & Advanced Payments confirmed the details to Biometric Update in an email.

The certification covers fingerprint performance based on successful verification and very low False Acceptance and False Rejection Rates (FAR and FRR, respectively), along with speed and distance performance during transactions, the security of the implementation and data, card structure integrity, and function, going far beyond standard bank card certification, according to Martinez.

“This certification is a key milestone for the introduction of the biometric card to the market,” he explains. “Thales is the first company to achieve this certification. It will allow to go beyond the pilot phase, and serve the first banks’ demands for commercial roll outs in 2020.”

FPC and Gemalto, which has become Thales Digital Identity, formed a partnership for dual-interface biometric cards early last year, and Gemalto has been involved in several trials with Mastercard already.

“The certification is seen by the banks as a reassurance that the solution is now ready for commercialization and confirms its solid performances and reliability,” says Martinez. “It should accelerate the ramp up of the product in the early adopter countries, after several successful pilots. The market is knowing an increasing interest with the multiplication of commercial discussions with issuers for this innovative and convenient payment device.”

Martinez was also among industry experts who discussed the development of the biometric payment card market in early 2019.

Article Topics

biometric cards  |  biometric payments  |  biometrics  |  certification  |  Fingerprint Cards  |  fingerprint sensors  |  Gemalto  |  Mastercard  |  Thales Digital Identity and Security