NatWest piloting finger print card technology

NatWest customers will be able to verify card payments using the touch of a finger in a trial taking place in the coming weeks.
By The Newsroom
Published 11th Mar 2019, 05:00 BST
The system is still in the very early stages the bank has saidThe system is still in the very early stages the bank has said
The system is still in the very early stages the bank has said

The bank said it is piloting a “cutting edge” biometric fingerprint bank card with 200 customers.

In Scotland, the trial will involve customers of Royal Bank of Scotland.

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Customers will use their fingerprint to verify payments over £30 - the current contactless card limit - without the need to enter a Pin at the till.

Bank cards used in the trial will store information which means people can verify payments by placing their finger over a box on the card, which is then swiped at the till without a Pin being entered.

Asked about any plans to roll out the fingerprint technology more widely, NatWest said the initiative is in its early stages and it will see how the trial evolves.

As well as perhaps being simpler than keying in a Pin, such technology could potentially help people who have difficulty remembering number codes, so it may be useful to vulnerable customers.

NatWest said it is working closely with digital security company Gemalto along with Visa and Mastercard to bring the service to customers in the UK.