News

Gemalto to launch first contactless biometric EMV card

January 4, 2018

The Bank of Cyprus has selected Gemalto, a digital security provider, to supply the world's first EMV biometric, dual interface payment card for chip and contactless payments, according to a press release.

Using fingerprint recognition instead of a PIN code to authenticate the cardholder, the card is compatible with existing payment terminals. When customers place their fingerprint on the sensor, a comparison is performed between the scanned fingerprint and the reference biometric data stored in the card. 

The biometric sensor card is powered by the payment terminal and does not require an embedded battery. This means there is no limit from battery life nor on the number of transactions. 

The biometric sensor payment card is based on the principle that biometric data should always remain in the hands of end users.

Bank of Cyprus' customers will complete the swift enrolment process at the bank's branches, using Gemalto's tablet designed for the solution. The biometric personalization and card activation process is designed to avoid transmission of biometric data over the air to ensure that users' data privacy is protected. The fingerprint template captured during the enrolment process is stored only on the card.

"Bank of Cyprus customers will be first in the world to enjoy biometric convenience on a contactless payment card. Gemalto's biometric sensor payment card is designed to provide maximum security and data privacy," Bertrand Knopf, Gemalto's executive vice president Banking and Payment, said in the press release. 

Photo courtesy of Gemalto.