Never forget your PIN again: Mastercard Intoduces Credit card with fingerprint scanner

The days of having to enter your PIN at a cash machine or till could soon be over after a credit card featuring a biometric fingerprint scanner was unveiled.

Mastercard has introduced the payments card in South Africa, following successful trials with a local bank and retailer. Instead of requiring its owner to enter a four-digit personal identification number (PIN), it features a small area that can verify the card user's fingerprints.

It is hoped that the technology will lead to quicker and safer transactions. To use it, a shopper must simply hold the card by the fingerprint sensor and insert it into a card reader. The technology then verifies the fingerprint and approves the transaction without requiring a PIN, and works with existing payment terminals.

MasterCard is testing out new fingerprint sensor-enabled payment cards that, combined with the onboard chips, offer a new, convenient way to authorize your in-person transactions. Instead of signing a paper receipt or entering your PIN while struggling to cover up the number pad, you simply place your thumb on your card to prove your identity.

Goal of The New Master Card

Step 1. Insert credit card.
Step 2. Put your thumb on it.
Step 3. Walk away with your purchase.
The new cards are currently being tested in South Africa, and MasterCard hopes to roll them out to the rest of the world by the end of 2017.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

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• A cardholder enrols their card by registering with their bank.
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• Upon registration, their fingerprint is converted into an encrypted digital template that is stored on the card.
• The card can then be used at any PIN machine in the world.
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• When shopping and paying in-store, the biometric card works like any other chip card.
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• The cardholder slots the card into a retailer's terminal while placing their finger on the embedded sensor.
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• The fingerprint is verified against the template and – if the biometrics match – the transaction can then be approved with the card never leaving the consumer's hand.

Even if the card is stolen, the other ‘thief’ won’t be able to use it since his/her finger print scanner won’t be identified. Of course, you'll still have the option to use your PINcode.