Samsung’s Biometric Card IC: All-in-one fingerprint solution for a new payment experience

Samsung's Biometric Card IC is an all-in-one security solution that offers biometric cards a variety of things they need to make everyday transactions safer and more convenient. This new fingerprint security chip was selected as a winner of the CES 2023 Best of Innovation Awards in the Cybersecurity & Personal Privacy category. Let us take a look at how this groundbreaking technology can help people solve one of the world's most pressing payment and identification problems. First of all, this video will give you a high-level understanding of how this technology will change the way people pay in the future.

What is a biometric card: No more PIN or signature An innovative payment card technology called a biometric card offers cardholders a secure and convenient way to authenticate themselves at the point of sale (POS) by using their fingerprint instead of a personal identification number (PIN) or signature. Cardholders don't need to enter a PIN for high-value transactions, making transactions faster and easier. An added layer of security reduces concerns about card or PIN theft and increases confidence in using the card, especially when travelling, because you don’t have to worry about the fraudulent payments even if your card is stolen or lost.

How it works: easy and safe transaction Up to three digital templates of fingers can be added to the card during enrollment and the biometric data is securely stored on the card. Depending on the issuer’s policy, the enrollment can be done at home or at a supervised, in-person location selected by the issuer. In order to make payment, cardholders can tap or insert their biometric card at a standard EMV point-of-sale terminal with the enrolled finger placed, usually the thumb on a sensor built into the card. The biometric card instantly verifies the card user's identity, eliminating the need to enter a PIN. If the biometric match is successful, the card user is authenticated, and the transaction proceeds. Without providing any biometric information to the merchant, a biometric card scans the fingerprint and compares it to the fingerprint templates stored on the card. At the point of sale, the card compares the scanned image to the fingerprint template stored on it. The enrolled fingerprint template cannot be modified or shared outside the card. The biometric template is strongly encrypted and protected from the unauthorized access to prevent any fraudulent modification. It is not necessary for the biometric data to leave the card because the enrolled template is not stored by the issuer and the scanned image is not shared with the merchant. As a result, the biometric information is protected and is not accessed nor used outside the card.

Solution to financial exclusion Financial inclusion is a priority for the banking industry because many people around the world do not use financial services for a variety of reasons. A biometric payment card can provide a solution for millions of people with learning disabilities, literacy issues, or visual impairments, who may struggle with traditional payment methods. Biometric fingerprint authentication can improve financial inclusion for these people by providing a convenient, simple, and secure way to use cards to make payments, replacing other common forms of verification such as a written signature or a PIN number. Samsung paves the way for mainstream adoption Biometric identity verification is becoming increasingly preferred for its convenience, and the demand for more robust verification solutions is growing. The main technical obstacle to bringing biometric cards into the mainstream has been reducing production costs while maintaining all the advanced biometric security features. Samsung has found a solution to reduce costs without sacrificing functionality by developing a single-chip through technology integration. The single-chip solution combines Samsung's proprietary technologies such as the fingerprint sensor, secure processor, secure element and proprietary software to create the industry's first all-in-one security chip solution for biometric cards.

Samsung’s Biometric Card IC solution makes it easier for banks and other organizations to create and distribute their biometric payment cards. The single chip solution can help card manufacturers reduce the number of chips required and streamline card design processes for biometric payment cards by combining the three essential functions in a single chip. And Samsung’s proprietary fingerprint authentication algorithm and anti-spoofing technology enable safety for transactions. Samsung's new payment solution has the potential to disrupt the previous industry standard and opened up a new market growth opportunity due to its performance and design efficiency. According to Gwanbon Koo, Vice President of the Security & Power Product Development Team, "The product positions Samsung as a first mover in the next-generation payment IC market, and Samsung will contribute to the expansion of the biometric card market by presenting a completely new payment experience".