Fingerprint payments fall into old news as a new paytech solution powers a new form of biometric identification through the veins of the palm. There is no need to take out a credit card or enter a PIN, making your hand the only payment method necessary.
Ingenico and Fujitsu Frontech North America have launched a new biometric payment solution based on palm vein identification.
The solution sees consumers identify themselves and authenticate their payments by moving the palm of their hand over a near-infra-red (NIR) sensor. The solution’s design sits upon Ingenico’s AXIUM range and is compatible with Android payment terminals.
No-contact solutions like this have become synonymous with quicker checkout speeds, minimised fraud risks and overall customer satisfaction while eliminating the need to carry a physical card or enter a PIN.
In contrast to facial recognition and fingerprints, it isn’t possible for hackers to replicate close-up pictures of internal palm vein structures, which therefore makes fraudulent transactions near-impossible.
As the world continues to embrace biometric technology, Ken Nosker, Fujitsu Frontech North America VP of biometrics, describes palm vein identification as “the most private and secure technology in the market.”
Nosker explains how this technology adheres to customer demands for contactless, frictionless and hygienic payment solutions. “Our retail customers are lining up to pilot the technology,” he confirms. “Our solution will be a game changer for merchants around the world.”
Palm vein identification
As every person has a unique pattern of veins in the palm of their hand, palm vein identification is one of the industry’s most accurate forms of biometric authentication.
Compared to popular methods that rely on fingerprints or facial recognition, palm vein identification supports easier implementation and operation, and is favourable for being the least intrusive of the three methods.
The convenient, contactless, and hygienic technology has the potential to accelerate the share of cashless and digital transactions in markets worldwide. It can also offer additional security levels for organisations requesting strong identification solutions.
The solution is the result of a collaboration between Ingenico, the French developer of payments acceptance solutions, and Fujitsu Frontech North America, which develops currency handling equipment.
It combines Ingenico’s payment technology with Fujitsu’s identification algorithm, which analyses and matches biometric data.
Moreover, the solution leverages Fujitsu’s PalmSecure technology and incorporates biometric identification solutions developed by its subsidiary Fulcrum Biometrics; acquired in 2020.
To enrol consumers in the service, merchants first take a NIR scan of a customer’s palm using a device designed by Ingenico that incorporates the Fujitsu PalmSecure-F Pro sensor and software. Once processed, the image is encrypted and tokenised before being linked to the customer’s payment card held in the Ingenico cloud.
A long-awaited solution
Michel Léger, senior executive VP of global solutions development at Ingenico, regards the climbing success of palm vein biometrics as due to its speed and security over other biometric methods.
“We’re seeing a lot of interest from merchants in the solution that we have developed with Fujitsu Frontech North America and Fulcrum Biometrics,” comments Léger.
“Palm vein identification gives them new opportunities to authenticate and identify their customers in the most possible seamless way, personalise their offers and create an unrivalled experience in-store.”
Adding to these thoughts, Shuhei Oyake, president and CEO of Fujitsu Frontech North America, further comments: “Your palm vein pattern is totally internal to your body and therefore cannot be captured without your knowledge.
“Our patented technology matches palm vein templates without needing to decrypt them. Therefore, your unencrypted biometric can never be compromised.
“Fujitsu Frontech North America and Ingenico together will deliver merchants and consumers a long-awaited solution for frictionless and secure payments,” concludes Oyake.