Visa Inc. introduces a new specification to enable palm, voice, iris, or facial biometrics for chip card transactions. The framework is designed for the EMV (Europay, MasterCard, Visa) chip industry standard.
This type of biometric verification aims to provide easier and more secure payment options. Biometrics are never exposed or stored on central databases, as the specification supports “match- on-card” authentication only where the biometric is validated by the EMV chip card
“There is increasing demand for biometrics as a more convenient and secure alternative to signatures or PINs, especially as biometrics technologies have become more reliable and available,” says Mark Nelsen, senior vice-president of Risk Products and Business Intelligence, Visa Inc., in a statement to the press. “However, to support wide adoption, it is equally important that solutions are scalable and based on open standards. Building on the EMV chip standard provides a common, interoperable foundation, as well as encourages innovation in cutting-edge biometric solutions.”
Absa Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Barclays Africa Group, will kick off the specification this fall in a proof-of-concept trial. Cardholders will use fingerprint readers at select Absa-owned ATMs.
