Having your bank account at your fingertips is the new proposal from BNP Paribas, which will shortly be launching its biometric card to meet the huge success of contactless payment. Read all about it.
Fast, secure payment
BNP Paribas is due to launch a biometric bank card this autumn, enabling cardholders to pay for purchases by positioning their finger at a specific point, without having to type in their secret code. The gesture will be the same as that used for contactless payment, with the difference that the transaction will not be limited to 50 euros. " The shape and size of the card remain unchanged", explains the bank.
The biometric card, designed by electronics specialist Thales, has already been tested. Several pilot projects have been carried out in Switzerland, the UK, Cyprus and Lebanon. BNP Paribas claims that payments made using the card will be highly secure, as the fingerprint is unique to each individual.
To activate their card, customers will have to make an initial payment on an electronic payment terminal, entering their PIN code. Upon receipt, they will also receive a metal box to record their fingerprint.
Between 10,000 and 15,000 biometric cards deployed
In the autumn, BNP Paribas is expected to deliver between 10,000 and 15,000 biometric bankcards to Gold and Premier cardholders. However, the price of these cards is not yet known.
BNP Paribas is not the only bank to have embarked on such a project. At the end of 2018, Société Générale launched a pilot project for a biometric card incorporating a fingerprint sensor. A few months later, in June 2019, Crédit Agricole, in turn, evaluated this payment system with 200 people with a view to marketing it this year.
The French are fairly confident
The use of fingerprints instead of PIN codes seems to be preferred by the French. Indeed, according to a survey conducted by the Visa network, 79% of users consider that "biometric solutions offer a secure means of authentication". The Groupement des Cartes Bancaires CB adds that 52% would prefer to use their fingerprint rather than their PIN to pay for their purchases.
Biometric cards therefore appear to have real commercial potential. Banks have every interest in seizing this opportunity to try and catch up with mobile payment and maintain a direct relationship with the customer. Biometric cards also have the advantage of reducing the number of operations required by retailers, a real asset in the current health crisis. Indeed, contactless payment is now preferred by consumers to limit the risk of contamination.