A 2019 way to replace PINs and codes? Fingerprints! Kind of obvious, right? UK bank Natwest is piloting new biometric debit cards, for a seamless way to perform transactions.
British bank Natwest is the first to debut this new technology, which promises to help you get rid of PINs, signatures, and spending limits. The biometric cards will instead feature a fingerprint reader, which will be activated each time customers use contactless payments.
If you think about it, there are various ways that this is already happening; take Apple Pay, and other NFC payments for instance. All of them are activated once the fingerprint of the owner is successfully scanned. However, they do have a £30 cap in each transaction.
In the case of Natwest, biometric technology is the same, while the carrier device is different. As with NFC payments, fingerprints data are stored locally in the card, for maximum data protection. Even in the unlikely scenario that your fingerprint is compromised, it’s still much more secure than using PIN codes.
While the novel biometric debit cards possess scanning capabilities, you still won’t avoid the trip to the bank to have your fingerprint stored in the card. Natwest is progressively rolling out the new cards throughout April, to 200 lucky customers. The biometric cards are being developed with the collaboration of Gemalto, a company spearheading the technology behind it.
Now, the only question is how biometric cards will penetrate a market which already offers the same functionality through smartphones.
Have a look at how biometric cards work below.
You might also like
More from Tech
This Nissan Caravan NV350 Is The True Solution To Work From Anywhere
Remote working is taking a whole new meaning with the Nissan Caravan NV350 which allows its occupants to truly work …
Google Now Has A Guest Mode On Its Smart Speakers
The new Guest Mode on Google Smart Speakers limits access to your persona data like your calendar and won't save …
LG Is Launching A Rollable Phone In 2021
After announcing the world's first rollable TV in October, LG has announced a new rollable phone at CES this week.
OnePlus Launches Its First Wearable, The OnePlus Band
OnePlus, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer is launching its first wearable, the OnePlus Band, aiming to take on FitBit.
Dell Introduces Video Conferencing Monitors With Dedicated Microsoft Teams Button
Dell last week announced three new video conferencing monitors that let you instantly join Microsoft Teams meetings.
Honda Just Made A COVID-19 Mask For Your Car
The Kurumask developed by Honda is a "mask for your car" that covers the existing cabin filter of your car …
Microsoft Edge Introduces Cross-Device History And Tab Syncing
Microsoft Edge is adding cross-device history and tab syncing to users in the United Kingdom.
Your Next MacBook May Come With Wireless Charging Pads
Apple has been granted two patents that hint it could be adding wireless charging pads to the MacBook and its …