MasterCard’s newest credit card includes a fingerprint reader embedded in the actual card itself.
Cardholders can authorize payments with a simple touch of their finger, instead of using security measures like a PIN or a signature. The feature combines the popularity of mobile payments with the accessibility of biometric security features.
The card works at all existing readers that use a chip reader, but are not compatible with those solely equipped with the magnetic swipe.
Currently limited to a trial run exclusively in South Africa, MasterCard plans to expand to Europe and South-Asia in the coming months. A global release is planned for later this year, according to a press release.
Mastercard’s chief of security Ajay Bhalla claims fingerprints are a less vulnerable to being stolen or replicated, but that’s not exactly true. Copying a fingerprint can be done easily using some low-tech methods like Play-Doh and a dental mold, the Verge reports. Still, industry experts believe fingerprints are a more secure option than PINs.
To sign up, customers must visit a MasterCard enrollment center. Cardholders can scan up to two fingerprints, which are encrypted and stored on the card’s chip.
—RealClearLife
This article was featured in the InsideHook newsletter. Sign up now.