EMV card with fingerprint biometrics -The Thales biometric payment card

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Attracting New Premium Customers

Biometric payment cards are gaining traction among discerning customers, enhancing dedicated card programmes aimed at high-end segments. 

Demonstrated by several deployments, a notable 25% of the demand for these cards originated from individuals who were either new to the bank's premium segment or entirely new to the bank.
 

Increasing Customer Spend Through Technology

Recent feedback indicates a remarkable trend: the frequency of contactless payments using biometric payment cards has doubled within mere months. 

Furthermore, there is a 50% increase in the average expenditure when utilising these cards in contactless transactions over time, underscoring their efficacy in fulfilling the promise of streamlined contactless payments.
 

Securing a Preferred Status

The biometric payment card enhances transaction security and ease of use and is on track to become the card of choice for many. 

In a survey conducted by Thales across the UK and France in 2020, an overwhelming 80% of users anticipate that the biometric payment card will become their preferred payment method.
 

Fingerprint biometrics on cards is on the rise

Embrace a new era of convenience with the Thales Biometric Payment Card. 

Since its commercial launch in 2021, users have enjoyed its ease of use and heightened security for everyday payments without touching terminals or entering PIN codes. 

But what makes this card not just a step but a leap into the future of payment transactions?

Discover the convenience of using the biometric payment card by watching our videos.

You can get more insights about biometric authentication applied to EMV cards.

Fingerprint payment is made simple.

With a fingerprint sensor right on the card body, paying with an EMV card just got easier than ever before:

• ​With a simple touch, no need to enter a PIN code on the Point-of-Sales  (POS) Terminal to perform a payment transaction, both in contact mode and in contactless mode
• No more limit on contactless payment transactions. The users are securely authenticated with their fingerprint and can enjoy the convenience of contactless for any amount.
• N​o upgrade is required on the POS, as the biometrics check is directly performed on the EMV biometric card and nowhere else​.

The biometric payment card elevates the checkout experience. With a simple touch, transactions are faster, eliminating the need to enter a PIN or sign receipts. It's more than a biometric credit card; it's a paradigm shift in the financial industry, establishing a new benchmark for convenience and payment efficiency.

The biometric data never leaves the card.

The fingerprint reference data captured by the biometric sensor is securely stored in the card's secure chip. It is not an image of the fingerprint but a matrix of 1s and 0s where the details of the fingerprint and the skin are reassembled and can never be used to rebuild a fingerprint image.

It is neither kept on the bank's servers nor sent over the air to a personalisation bureau. 

The technology also meets the ISO/IEC 17839-2:2015 standard for on-card biometric comparison.

The rigorous and privacy-friendly enrolment process described below is critical for the success of fingerprint payments.

It is very similar to popular self-enrolment processes available on leading smartphone brands.

Communication about this aspect is certainly key for customers to reassure their users fully.
 

The Thales  Gemalto biometric credit card combines a fingerprint sensor and EMV technology. The biometric data never leave the card.

The biometric payment card experience

Using the card is intuitive, ensuring a more than 95% success rate*, regardless of how the user presents the card to the terminal.

* = minimum requirement defined by international payment schemes (VISA, Mastercard)

The fingerprint biometric sensor is large and well-positioned on the card body for a seamless user experience.

It sounds simple, and it is.

The cardholder will perform biometrics verification with their enrolled finger by holding the card as always before.

A card insertion (contact mode) or tap (contactless mode) on the POS will be sufficient to complete the transaction. 

PIN code can be a fallback solution, like ATM cash withdrawals, when the cardholder's fingerprint can't be used.

The new fingerprint sensor is compatible with all other EMV card options, such as contactless, and with the ISO dimensions of the card.

There's more.

The card's user-friendly design guarantees a success rate exceeding 95%.

Deliver unmatched speed and security with one-touch payment

The biometric payment card transforms the checkout experience. 

With a simple touch, transactions are faster; there’s no need to enter a PIN. 

A study from Springer Link validates its biometrics payment efficiency, citing that biometric payments can be up to 120% faster than traditional methods.
 

Biometric Card: Enrolment has never been so easy

A simple yet rigorous enrolment process is needed to register the user's fingerprint on the card. Thales has worked intensively and perfected its solution in the last years to propose two comprehensive and very intuitive ways:

Mobile enrolment

This is a revolutionary method: no matter where the cardholder is, the mobile app enables them to register their fingerprint with ease. The app provides step-by-step guidance to ensure a smooth process. It's fast, simple, and only requires a biometric card and an NFC-enabled phone:

• Simplified deployment: No need for a reader or a dedicated device.
• Intuitive and fast: Simply hold the card near the phone, and the app will guide you with clear instructions on the screen to complete the process in 2 minutes.
• Highly secure: The biometric data is captured by the card, securely stored on the card's chip, and never leaves the card.

The main benefits for the issuer include no need for additional devices, packaging, or logistics. The registration process is straightforward and intuitive, resulting in a high success rate without requiring bank support. Integration into the bank’s app is seamless, as Thales provides comprehensive documentation and a demo app. This solution is compatible with both iOS and Android phones.
 

Reader enrolment

For those who are not comfortable with mobile devices or for banks that prefer not to use the app, Thales offers a reader made from 100% recycled plastic as an alternative to mobile enrolment. 

The enrolment can be performed at home or at a branch.

• When performed at home, the cardholder's fingerprint reference data is securely installed in the card using a self-enrolment reader (made from recycled plastic) and shipped with the card (see picture on the right)
• The cardholder completes their enrolment in seconds by simply inserting the new biometric payment card in the reader and following the messages appearing on the reader display. 
• Activation is completed at the first transaction at the POS. 

The enrolment reader is used to guide the user with a personalised menu: the user can enroll, verify or delete his/her fingerprints.

The enrolment reader menu can be in any language and is designed for easy update without replacing it, ensuring it won't become obsolete. The text is directly coded in the biometric card, not in the reader, making easy any change of the menu.