Research suggests 3 in 4 Swedes want biometrics on next card

A new report compiled by software provider TietoEVRY and biometric technology company Zwipe has revealed an increasing demand for biometric cards and contactless solutions to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Conducted in Sweden in October 2020, the survey saw a number of 202 respondents aged between 18 and 60-plus and distributed according to age, gender, and socio-economic status.

The study saw almost 70 percent of those surveyed expressing an interest in a biometric card that would allow them to perform payments without touching the point-of-sale terminal.

“Being able to address COVID-19 with a safer and more secure payment method stands out as a clear desire among the consumers,” commented Jarmo Rouhiainen, head of Card Production and Personalization at TietoEVRY.

According to TietoEVRY and Zwipe, the high percentage would be justified by the fact that, despite smartphones being on the rise as the primary payment method of the population, bank cards currently remain the main form of in-store retail payment in Sweden.

Contactless payment cards are widely used in the country, but their security measures are not as advanced as Swedish citizens would like.

In fact, when asked about the possibility of utilizing biometrically-authenticated cards, 75 percent of the surveyed individuals answered they would like their next card to be enabled with biometric capabilities.

A majority of 59 percent said they would be willing to pay an extra monthly fee if their current bank offered biometric payment cards, while 48 percent of them admitted they would switch banks if they were offered a biometric payment card from another bank.

However, not all the responders were aware of this technology before the survey, with only 27 percent of them having heard about biometric payment cards prior to the investigation.

According to TietoEVRY, as awareness of this technology grows, so will its market demand.

“Currently, we see a strong interest in the market, not only for a safer and more secure and convenient payment method but also for more hygienic options at points of sale,” Rouhiainen said.

“We believe that biometric payment cards address these demands in a unique way.”

TietoEVRY and Zwipe partnered on biometric card manufacturing and deployment in the Nordic market last month.

Article Topics

biometric cards  |  biometric payments  |  biometrics  |  consumer adoption  |  contactless biometrics  |  fingerprint sensors  |  Sweden  |  Zwipe