Mastercard, Thales and FPC supply biometric payment card launch in Poland

Bank Pocztowy in Poland is the latest to begin issuing biometric payment cards to its customers, following a trial conducted with partners Fiserv Polska S.A., Mastercard and Thales.

The bank began issuing the cards on December 20, and says they provide enhanced security and support safely distanced transactions. Thales is responsible for developing the fingerprint-enabled card, as well as packaging and distribution.

Thales supplies biometric technology for Mastercard along with partner Fingerprint Cards, which foreshadowed the announcement in late-October. The partners just announced a deal to provide biometric credit cards in Jordan earlier in December.

The cards are currently available to Bank Pocztowy’s corporate customers, and is expected to be made available to small and medium-sized enterprises in January.

Interestingly, the companies note in the announcement that the fingerprint biometric sensor is designed to be more effective than sensors on mobile devices.

“Thanks to extensive and fruitful cooperation with our partners, this ambitious project has been successful and today Bank Pocztowy can offer the first EMV biometric card to Polish customers. It is a breakthrough event in the field of cashless payments in Poland. So far, in Europe this modern solution could only be used by French customers,” says Agata Kontrym-Woś, member of the Board and sales director for Banking & Payment Services at Thales DIS Poland. “Caring for its clients, Bank Pocztowy has opted for innovation and convenience. I am convinced that the new card owners will appreciate the security and the rapidity of the transaction, which will contribute to further digital transformation of the market.”

Card payments make up 62 percent of all transactions in Poland, according to the announcement.

“Thales as a provider of new technologies is a trustworthy partner, which is particularly important in such a sensitive area as payment services and data protection. We are delighted that this cooperation allows us to reach further milestones on the way to digitalization of the banking sector and enables customers to benefit from the solutions that are convenient and innovative, yet secure. We are looking forward to continuing the project so that the biometric card could also be used by our individual customers,” adds Marcin Ledworowski, member of the Board for Business and IT, Bank Pocztowy.

A recent forecast from the Smart Payment Association states that biometric payment cards may reach the mainstream as soon as next year.

Article Topics

biometric cards  |  biometric payments  |  biometrics  |  consumer adoption  |  contactless biometrics  |  Fingerprint Cards  |  fingerprint sensors  |  Mastercard  |  Poland  |  Thales Digital Identity and Security