Mastercard has teamed up with IDEMIA, the global leader in Augmented Identity, and MatchMove, a Singapore-based fintech, on their first pilot in Asia of a biometric card that uses a fingerprint to authorize transactions at in-store payment terminals.
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“We are proud to celebrate this milestone on our journey to shaping the future of payments into one powered by biometrics”
The card, with the product name F.CODE Easy, takes the seamless and intuitive experience of biometric authentication from a smartphone to a smart card. It makes transactions more convenient, safe and secure by eliminating the need for a cardholder to provide a PIN number or signature, thereby reducing touch points in public places.
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Developed by IDEMIA in accordance with Mastercard’s technical and design specifications, F.CODE Easy ensures privacy and security by storing all biometric credentials on the card chip rather than a central database. The battery-free card, which harvests energy from payment terminals to power its fingerprint sensor, is designed to be user-friendly and is certified to ISO standards by Mastercard for security and compliance.
MatchMove, a Banking as a Service provider in Singapore, will issue the biometric cards for the pilot in the fourth quarter of this year. The pilot will feature employees of Mastercard, IDEMIA and MatchMove using the cards for transactions and live demonstrations for customers.
“As people make a permanent move to contactless transactions, the biometric card promises more choice and greater security for consumers,” said Matthew Driver, Executive Vice President, Services, Asia Pacific, Mastercard. “With Mastercard’s focus on digital commerce, this solution is a testament to the innovative partnerships Mastercard cultivates and its mission to provide fast, frictionless payment experiences that are protected at every point.”
