Fingerprint Cards’ (Fingerprints™) technology has been selected by Gemalto to bring additional performance to its next generation of dual interface payment cards. Gemalto, the world leader in digital security, will offer biometric EMV® payment cards to its bank customers, using Fingerprints’ T-Shape sensor and licensing the recently-launched Biometric Software Platform for payments. The initial order confirms the commitment of both companies to accelerate the deployment of biometric payment cards.

“We evaluated a number of biometric systems for cards and Fingerprints came out with the most performing and promising solution,” comments Sylvie Gibert, SVP Payment Card Business Line at Gemalto. The new software working in harmony with their power-efficient T-Shape sensor, gives us maximized performance which, combined with the optimized and secure design of our biometric card, provides a market leading solution for our customers. With Fingerprints, we are bringing stronger, faster and more seamless authentication to payment cards.

Fingerprints’ T-Shape module is optimized for integration into smartcards using established manufacturing processes. The module’s ultra-low power consumption means that cards do not need a battery, and its superior biometric performance ensures both security and convenience for cardholders. To ensure privacy, storage of biometric templates and image matching is conducted securely on the card, ensuring data never leaves consumers’ control.

This is a turning point for biometric payment cards,” says Thomas Rex, SVP Business Line Smartcards at Fingerprints. Working with Gemalto, the leader in EMV Payment cards & digital security, is a gratifying collaboration and the recognition that our technology can meet their strong requirements in terms of performance. We are looking forward to seeing the first biometric cards in consumers’ hands, adding much-needed strong authentication to contactless payments without impacting the user experience.

This initial order comprises a few hundred thousand sensors to be delivered during 2019 and 2020 and is not, in itself, financially significant in relation to Fingerprints’ total revenues. However, this is the first volume order in the biometric smartcard industry, which strengthens Fingerprints’ view that the global market for biometric payment cards is about to materialize.