The fingerprint is only held on the card and not centrally by the bank, with each transaction verified using data which is encrypted and stored locally on the card, NatWest said. As well as perhaps being simpler than keying in a Pin, such technology could potentially help people who have difficulty remembering number codes, so it may be useful to vulnerable customers.
NatWest said it is working closely with digital security company Gemalto along with Visa and Mastercard to bring the service to customers in the UK.
Georgina Bulkeley, director of strategy and innovation at RBS/NatWest, said: ‘We’re looking to understand from our customers if it’s useful for them, if they like using it. It should be an effortless payment experience.’
Asked about the potential for a wider rollout, she said: ‘We really do want to get the customer feedback before we jump ahead.’
David Crawford, head of payments, NatWest, said: ‘We are using the very latest technology across our business to make banking easier for our customers and biometric fingerprint cards are one of the many technologies we are exploring further.
‘This is the biggest development in card technology in recent years and it’s great to finally see the cards in the hands of our customers.’
Howard Berg, senior vice president, UK, Ireland and Switzerland, Gemalto, said: ‘We’re confident that consumers will love the convenience, enhanced security and great user experience that this new card provides.
‘Biometric authentication and identification is set to transform financial services and we’re proud to be leading the way in this field alongside our partners.’
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