Fingerprint Sensor based Biometric Payment Cards

Fingerprinting for payment cards was developed by MasterCard in the 1990s to prevent stolen cards from being used fraudulently. To initiate a transaction, a customer places his or her card on a card reader, also known as a biometric payment device, attached to a point-of-sale terminal and then enters a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to authorize the transaction. The PIN and the fingerprint data on the card interact to provide the customer with sufficient security to be sure that the card will not be used fraudulently. Authentication occurs instantaneously and without the knowledge or use of the card number or PIN. Payment card companies offer privacy and security by taking various steps to secure and protect their networks. They work closely with retailers to build a network of secure networks that provide privacy. Retailers can use these secure networks, also known as the “Visa Net,” to process transactions securely. When a customer uses a payment card, the retailer stores their payment data on a back end, often called the vendor solution, which includes the transaction amounts and merchant numbers. Traditional payment cards need to be more securely authenticated. Even though companies have introduced the Wi-Fi enabled payment cards to increase transaction speed, it has many limitations, and can be easily used for fraudulent activities. Hence the objective of this work is to install a biometric sensor on the payment card to enhance security and reduce the risk of fraud.