MasterCard today unveiled a biometric chip-and-pin credit card featuring a built-in fingerprint sensor that takes cues from mobile payment systems such as Apple Pay.

The card can be used to make purchases like any other, except rather than keying in a PIN number, card holders can choose to place their finger over the square sensor to approve the transaction.

Alternatively, users can take a two-tier authentication approach and use both their PIN and fingerprint to approve the purchase. However, users of the card won't have the convenience or security that comes with registering their print with their smartphone.

95713380 683beafd dee0 4e73 86e6 b6b7b412206b
With Apple Pay, fingerprint data is encrypted and protected with a key available only to the Secure Enclave on the user's iPhone. The Secure Enclave is walled off from the rest of the hardware and the OS, meaning iOS and other apps never have access to user fingerprint data, it's never stored on Apple servers, and never backed up to iCloud or anywhere else.

The biometric credit card has no such protections. Instead, the user must register their print with the bank or financial institution that issued the card, and while the fingerprint is encrypted on the card itself, it's still unclear what security and privacy measures are in place to deal with the registration process.

95703729 mediaitem95703726
Despite those concerns, Mastercard's chief of safety and security, Ajay Bhalla, said that the fingerprint technology was "not something that can be taken or replicated", and that the biometric card would help "to deliver additional convenience and security".

MasterCard plans to roll out the cards in Europe and the Asia Pacific region soon, following successful tests in South Africa through Barclays subsidiary Absa and supermarket Pick n Pay.

Top Rated Comments

JohnApples Avatar
86 months ago
I find it a bit funny that people are willing to trust banks with extremely personal information such as home address, social security number, and those very specific "recovery questions". Oh and let's not forget entire life savings. Yet when it comes to a fingerprint, that's where we draw the line.

I mean, I get it. I probably wouldn't use this either. But if you're uncomfortable sharing your fingerprint with your financial institution, maybe you shouldn't be sharing every other detail about your life with them, too.

EDIT: alright folks I get it! You can change the other stuff but you can't change your fingerprint! Please stop quoting me!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jyby Avatar
86 months ago
Science Rules!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
maflynn Avatar
86 months ago
On paper it seems like a good idea, but in practice, I'm not so sure.

What about readers that pull a card in and don't give you the option to hold the sensor? My credit cards are scratched and marked up from being in my wallet, I can see the sensor being just as scuffed up. I'd rather not be fumbling at a register trying to buy something and because I have scratches on the my credit card I cannot use that card.

Also I'm not about to give my bank my fingerprint.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BrettArchibald Avatar
86 months ago
Oh, so you still have to put the card INTO the card reader...?
Meh. Pass.
It's just more convenient to wave my phone in the general vicinity of the card reader instead.
It's also a lot more convenient to pull my phone out of my pocket and then stick it back afterwards (2 steps) than take my wallet out my pocket, take my card out of my wallet, put the card in the reader, take the card out the reader, put my card back into my wallet and then put my wallet back in my pocket (6 steps).
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
arkitect Avatar
86 months ago
How does this deliver additional convenience above Apple Pay or Google Wallet?
Because there is a significant amount of the population that doesn't use a smart phone capable of using Apple Pay or Google wallet.
And especially elderly people who may have difficulty recalling PIN numbers etc.

So yes, while I personally use Apple Pay daily and acknowledge that it has been a game changer for me, I do think there is potential for MasterCard's new tech.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nimrad Avatar
86 months ago
So how does this work? I'm guessing some sort of power would be needed? Does it get the power from the terminal when inserted maybe? And is my fingerprint stored on the card or in the cloud?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

apple card 1

Apple Ending Apple Card Partnership With Goldman Sachs

Tuesday November 28, 2023 3:09 pm PST by
Apple is ending its credit card partnership with Goldman Sachs, according to The Wall Street Journal. Apple plans to stop working with Goldman Sachs in the next 12 to 15 months, and it is not yet clear if Apple has established a new partnership for the Apple Card. Apple and Goldman Sachs will dissolve their entire consumer partnership, including the Apple Card and the Apple Savings account....
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.2 Beta 4

Tuesday November 28, 2023 12:18 pm PST by
Apple is wrapping up development on iOS 17.2, with the update expected to come out in December. While we're getting to the end of the beta testing period, Apple is still tweaking features and adding new functionality. We've rounded up everything new in the fourth beta of iOS 17.2. Default Notification Sound Under Sounds & Haptics, there's a new "Default Alerts" section that allows you to ...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.1.2 With Security Fixes

Thursday November 30, 2023 10:12 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 17.1.2 and iPadOS 17.1.2, small updates to the iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 operating systems that Apple introduced in September. iOS 17.1.2 and iPadOS 17.1.2 come a few weeks after the release of iOS 17.1.1, another bug fix update. iOS 17.1.2 and iPadOS 17.1.2 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update....
Apple 5G Modem Feature Triad

Apple to Discontinue Custom 5G Modem Development, Claim Reports

Wednesday November 29, 2023 4:19 am PST by
Apple is discontinuing in-house modem development after several unsuccessful attempts to perfect its own custom 5G modem chip, according to unconfirmed reports coming out of Asia. According to the operator of news aggregator account "yeux1122" on the Naver blog, supply chain sources related to Apple's 5G modem departments claim that the company's attempts to develop its own modem have...
All New CarPlay Five New Features Article 2

What to Expect From All-New CarPlay, Still Listed as Coming 'Late 2023'

Tuesday November 28, 2023 7:44 am PST by
At WWDC in June 2022, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, increased personalization, and more. Apple's website still says the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience will be announced in "late 2023," but it has not shared...
Apple Logo

Apple Discontinued These 5 Products This Year

Monday November 27, 2023 7:03 am PST by
As the end of 2023 nears, now is a good opportunity to look back at some of the devices and accessories that Apple discontinued throughout the year. Apple products discontinued in 2023 include the iPhone 13 mini, 13-inch MacBook Pro, MagSafe Battery Pack, MagSafe Duo Charger, and leather accessories. Also check out our lists of Apple products discontinued in 2022 and 2021. iPhone Mini ...
iOS 17

iOS 17.1.2 Update for iPhone Likely to Be Released This Week

Monday November 27, 2023 8:24 am PST by
Apple will likely release iOS 17.1.2 this week, based on mounting evidence of the software in our website's analytics logs in recent days. As a minor update, iOS 17.1.2 should be focused on bug fixes, but it's unclear exactly which issues might be addressed. Some users have continued to experience Wi-Fi issues on iOS 17.1.1, so perhaps iOS 17.1.2 will include the same fix for Wi-Fi...
iOS 17

28 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in December's iOS 17.2 Update

Friday December 1, 2023 2:57 am PST by
Apple made the first beta of iOS 17.2 available to developers in October. Since then we've seen three more betas, and with each iteration Apple continues to add more new features and changes, many of which users have been anticipating for quite a while. Below, we've listed 28 new things that are coming to your iPhone when the finalized version is publicly released this December. 1. Help...