Fingerprint Cards AB (Fingerprints™) and Fime have collaborated to achieve compliance with Mastercard’s Reference Specifications for Fingerprints’ latest T-Shape® sensor module and software platform for biometric payment cards. Proactively securing this approval brings widespread deployments even closer as it simplifies the approval process for card manufacturers. Card manufacturers of all sizes can now benefit from saving time and money when launching and scaling biometric card projects.

“This is a very important achievement,” comments Michel Roig, SVP Business Line Payments at Fingerprints. “We are dedicated to ensuring the quality performance, security and user experience of our technology and are working hand-in-hand with the payments industry to simplify the path to further commercial launches like we’re seeing in France. We’ve seen a spike in contactless adoption over the past year, with hygiene front of consumers’ minds. Fingerprint payment cards have a big role to play in fast, frictionless and safe in-store payments.”

Working closely with Fime’s consultants and testing experts, the testing was performed in line with Mastercard’s Biometric Evaluation Plan Summary (BEPS) specifications. The approval validates the performance and presentation attack detection security features to ensure a secure, private and optimized user experience for cardholders.

“As the first approval of its kind, Fime and Fingerprints are pushing both the biometrics and payments industries forward,” comments Stéphanie El Rhomri, Vice President of Testing Services at Fime. “Throughout projects like this, our consultants and testing teams work to refine technologies, tailor test plans and solve challenges to optimize for success. Biometrics is the answer to a smooth user experience without compromising on security. Consumers can now use biometrics more in-store, strengthening security while simplifying the payment experience.”

The second-generation T-Shape technology combines extensive R&D investment with key learnings from successful market pilots and commercial rollouts. It delivers increased performance and power efficiency, enabling the most cost-effective biometric payment cards to be produced and integrated using standard manufacturing processes.