China UnionPay Certifies Second Biometric Card with IDEX and Tongxin Tech

An IDEX Biometrics fingerprint sensor will appear alongside a Secure Element from Tongxin Microelectronics (TMC) in a new biometric payment card from Goldpac. The Goldpac card recently received China UnionPay (CUP) certification, and is the second card to accomplish the feat with IDEX and TMC technology.

The news reflects the two companies’ ongoing efforts to accelerate the adoption and commercialization of biometric cards. IDEX and TMC announced their partnership in 2019, and achieved their first China UnionPay certification in April of 2020. The new Goldpac card will feature the TMC THD89 Secure Element and IDEX’s TrustedBio fingerprint solution.

“This second CUP certification continues the trend of increasing global adoption of biometric cards,” said IDEX CEO Vince Graziani. “Our collaboration with TMC will make this biometric payment card available to a broad range of card issuers which will increase the number of customers who have access to the technology.”

“TMC and IDEX continue their leadership in the biometric smart card market with the only solutions to be certified by CUP,” added TMC VP John Zou. “We are looking forward to further innovation and extending our advantage with IDEX’s next generation TrustedBio solution.”

IDEX indicated that Goldpac is ready to move forward with volume production of the card, and credited TMC’s secure element for simplifying the manufacturer’s development process. IDEX has also been looking to expand the potential market for its biometric cards after forming a strategic partnership with a global payment scheme based in the United States.

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February 3, 2021 – by Eric Weiss