Biometric payment card from Idex, Hitachi launched with RuPay certification

A biometric payment card was launched this week at Mumbai’s Global Fintech Fest for the Indian market. The card is being launched by Hitachi Payment Services in partnership with Airtel Payments Bank, and features fingerprint authentication software from Idex Biometrics.

The partners say the biometric card is the first of its kind in the National Payment Corporation of India’s (NPCI’s) RuPay payment network.

The new RuPay biometric payment card utilizes Idex Pay to comply with the updated regulation from the Reserve Bank of India on two-factor authentication. Specifically, the RBI stipulated that two different types of factors (among possession, knowledge and inherence or biometrics) must be used in combination for digital payments. The requirements take effect next April 1.

“The RBI’s AFA update in September was a watershed moment for the Indian payments industry,” said Anders Storbråten, CEO of Idex Biometrics. “We are well-positioned, alongside our Indian and global partners, to lead the adoption of biometric payment cards across RuPay, Visa, and Mastercard networks. Launching the first RuPay biometric card at the Global Fintech Fest is a proud achievement for Idex and our partners.”

A pilot of the payment card is currently underway, according to the announcement.

Idex noted over a year ago that it had partnered with a smart card manufacturer certified for RuPay, which it said at the time is one of the largest card-makers in the region.

Article Topics

biometric authentication  |  biometric cards  |  biometric payments  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  Hitachi  |  Idex Biometrics  |  India