Fime lab can now test against new EMVCo biometric card specification

Fime’s laboratory for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region has received EMVCo recognition for the evaluation of fingerprint biometric sensors, according to a release from the company.

With the recognition, Fime is allowed to test and evaluate fingerprint sensors against the EMV Biometric Card Specification, which assesses key criteria such as reliability, liveness detection and user convenience against global compliance standards.

The company says it solidifies its role as a trusted enabler of innovation in the payment ecosystem, as it transitions from biometric payment pilots to large-scale deployments.

“Biometrics are reshaping the future of secure payments. This recognition expands our ability to support the ecosystem as biometric cards scale globally. Our mission is to help innovators bring secure, trusted solutions to market faster,” says Noël Catherine, SVP of services at Fime.

Fingerprint Cards’ biometric system first to be recognized

The EMVCo assessment process for fingerprint sensors used in payment cards is brand new. Fingerprint Cards AB (FPC) is the first biometrics provider to pass testing and have its technology independently verified to meet up-to-date global rules for secure biometric payments.

In a release, the company says its complete biometric system, including the fingerprint sensor, supporting hardware and algorithm, is the first in the world to successfully meet EMVCo’s new requirements.

The recognition comes as FPC prepares for a planned merger with Precise Biometrics. Adam Philpott, CEO of FPC, says it will make it easier for FPC customers to bring products to market faster. “As we plan to combine forces with Precise Biometrics, this milestone would further strengthen our joint offering and position the combined group as a leader for the next generation of biometric solutions for smart cards, wearables, and other payment and multi-function products.”

The release does not specify which lab conducted FPC’s testing.

EVMCo biometric payment card initiative outlines key metrics

A post on EVMCo’s knowledge hub explains the unique challenges for biometric payments cards, which include a sensor that captures fingerprint biometrics for authentication during the payment transaction, replacing a PIN for an extra layer of security.

EMVCo “creates, evolves and promotes technical specifications for EMV payment cards to work seamlessly and securely,” and has worked over recent years to promote confidence and consistency across cardholder verification methods by identifying and addressing security, functional and performance needs to enable seamless, secure payments.

Its ‘Biometric on Card’ initiative, focused solely on the use of a fingerprint as a biometric authentication mechanism on a payment card, outlines specific performance metrics, including false acceptance rate (FAR), false rejection rate (FRR), effectiveness of liveness detection, and transaction time.

Article Topics

biometric cards  |  biometric payments  |  biometric testing  |  biometrics  |  EMVCo  |  Fime  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  Fingerprint Cards