Conventional payment card swipes are soon going to become a thing of the past. Tech giants like Google and Apple have already launched their payment platforms Google Wallet and Apple Pay respectively that use smartphones to pay bills. Independent players have also made a mark in the industry with inventions like Coin and Plastic. In a time like this the big names in the payment card industry are feeling the heat. MasterCard in association with Norwegian security technology company, Zwipe has taken a step forward to thwart the completion with the launch of a new payment card. The Zwipe MasterCard payment card is the world’s first fingerprint authenticated contactless payment card. It houses an integrated biometric sensor and features Zwipe's secure biometric authentication technology that protects the users’ biometric data which is stored only on the card itself to prevent data theft. It also contains an EMV certified secure element and comes preloaded with MasterCard’s contactless application software.


The Zwipe MasterCard is different from other contactless payment cards in the market. While other contactless payments cards still require a PIN entry, the Zwipe MasterCard replaces it with fingerprint authentication. The companies have already tested their prototype in a live pilot project with Norway’s Sparebanken DIN. In the initial design the Zwipe MasterCard uses a battery to operate but in the final design the companies are planning to add an energy harvesting feature that will draw power from payment terminals instead of an onboard power supply. The Zwipe MasterCard along with compatible payment terminals are pegged for a public launch sometime in the next year.


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