FPC Gets Mastercard Approval for Biometric Payment Card Tech

In collaboration with the testing and consultancy firm Fime, Fingerprint Cards has attained compliance with Mastercard’s Reference Specifications with respect to its T-Shape fingerprint sensor for biometric payment cards, as well as its supporting software.

The solution has been tested in line with Mastercard’s Biometric Evaluation Plan Summary, or BEPS, specifications. Testing assessed the T-Shape solution’s performance, including its ability to detect presentation attacks that mimic legitimate biometric credentials.

In announcing the development, Fingerprint Cards indicated that it proactively sought Mastercard’s approval for the solution in order to further smooth the road toward commercialization. A number of players in the global banking industry, as well as the biometrics sector, are preparing for large-scale launches of biometric payment cards that enable contactless transactions with the security of a fingerprint scan on a given card.

“This is a very important achievement,” said Fingerprint Cards’ payment solutions SVP, Michel Roig. “We are dedicated to ensuring the quality performance, security and user experience of our technology and are working hand-in-hand with the payments industry to simplify the path to further commercial launches like we’re seeing in France.”

France’s BNP Paribas has become one of the largest banks so far with official plans to launch biometric payment cards commercially in 2021. The bank will be offering a biometric Visa credit card to customers starting in the first half of the year.

Commenting further on the T-Shape’s Mastercard approval, Fime VP of Testing Services Stéphanie El Rhomri called it “the first approval of its kind,” and said that “Fime and Fingerprints are pushing both the biometrics and payments industries forward.”

The news comes after a corporate update from Fingerprint Cards last month in which CEO Christian Fredrikson noted the emerging opportunities in biometric payment cards, and highlighted his firm’s potential to “make serious inroads” in this area in the year ahead.

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March 31, 2021 – by Alex Perala