Italy’s Sella has begun piloting a biometric credit card that allows users to pay using their fingerprint.
Sella is piloting a biometric card in Italy
The pilot project is led by Serra Personal Credit, the family credit division of the Serra Group, and targets a select group of Italian-based customers.
The biometric card is issued by Sella under the Visa scheme developed in partnership with identity technology solution provider Idemia.
As part of the project, each selected customer will receive a kit containing a device that can enroll the customer’s fingerprints. No need to go to a bank branch.
According to Sella, once the fingerprint is captured, the card is ready to use and does not require batteries for operation.
“The biometric chip is powered directly by the point of sale (POS) for contact payments and via magnetic fields for contactless transactions,” says Sella. “Simply place your finger on the biometric chip on the face of the card to securely authorize the payment.”
It adds that biometric cards can be used globally and will be recognized by EMV-certified POS and ATM terminals.
Giorgio Orioli, CEO and General Manager of Sella Personal Credit, said:
Orioli adds that working with Visa and IDEMIA will allow us to “enhance the payment experience for our customers while ensuring simplicity and security.”