Mastercard to Introduce Biometric Credit Cards

MasterCard have revealed a new credit card with an inbuilt biometric fingerprint reader as an additional security means to tackle credit card fraud.

The technology works similar to that used on Smartphones where to issue payment, you must have your finger over the sensor to read your print and confirm payment.

Whilst experts state that the technology is not fool-proof (see many film clichés of removing appendages to trick a reader) it is said to be a sensible and practical utilisation of the technology.

Ajay Bhalla, MasterCard’s head of safety and security has said that the technology would help “to deliver additional convenience and security. It is not something that can be taken or replicated.”

The technology is not without its problems though. For example, every stores/shop which was planning to utilise this would need to have a card reader fitted specifically designed to read the fingerprint information. There is no evidence that this can be ‘retro-fitted’ and given that make stores have only recently upgraded to the ‘contact-less’ style of card reader, there are doubts that any will wish to incur further expense, particularly for example your local coffee shop.

There will also, of course, be questions surrounding the violation of civil liberties, particularly those who do not believe that organisations should hold our fingerprint information.

Whilst we would not expect to see this technology rolled out soon, it is surely only going to be a matter of time.