Visa introduces specification for EMV chip-based biometrics

The specification can enable palm, voice, iris, or facial biometrics. This technology framework is designed to work with the EMV chip industry standard to help ensure globally interoperable solutions.

Biometric verification is intended to prevent fraud as well as make it easier to pay securely. The architecture Visa has designed enables fingerprints to be securely accepted by a biometric reader, encrypted, and then validated. The specification supports “match-on-card” authentication where the biometric is validated by the EMV chip card and never exposed or stored in any central databases. Issuers can optionally validate the biometric data within their secure systems for transactions occurring in their own environments, such as their own ATMs.

Because Visa’s design is built on the EMV chip standard, biometric cardholder verification can be integrated with the technology used by 3.3 billion chip cards around the world. Financial institutions, solution providers, and others in the payments ecosystem can rely on an interoperable and consistent infrastructure for supporting biometrics.

Visa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to electronic payments.