Cornèr Banca issues biometric payment card

Cornercard biometric contactless credit card
BIOMETRIC GOLD: Cardholders register their fingerprint via a sensor on the bottom right of the Cornèrcard

Swiss bank Cornèr Banca has launched a biometric payment card that lets customers make contactless payments without being restricted to the usual CHF40 (US$40) contactless transaction limit.

The new Cornèrcard Biometric Gold Visa credit card is being made available as a limited edition of 100 cards and carries a one-time membership fee of CHF300 (US$300) plus an annual fee of CHF190 (US$190) after the first year.

“The cardholder’s fingerprint is easily registered on the specially designed sensor on the bottom right-hand-side of the card,” the bank says.

“An LED signal, also integrated into the card, confirms the successful capture of the fingerprint.”

“When the fingerprint is identified, the digital fingerprint data is stored exclusively and encrypted on a second chip located in the card,” the bank adds.

“To complete the identification of the legitimate cardholder, the PIN must be entered during the first transaction.

“Thereafter, the PIN is only used in exceptional cases or where it is not possible to confirm the fingerprint, such as when withdrawing cash from ATMs. Payment by fingerprint is possible for both small and large amounts.”

A video produced by Cornèrcard shows how the registration, activation and payment process works:

 

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