Polish Bank Rolling Out Biometric Cards Through Thales, Fiserv and Mastercard

Technology company Thales, FinTech Fiserv and payments giant Mastercard are rolling out biometric cards across Poland, with Bank Pocztowy being the financial institution to offer the futuristic payment and identification cards to their customers, according to a report by The Paypers Tuesday (Dec. 21).

Bank Pocztowy began issuing the biometric cards Monday (Dec. 20), saying they offer increased security and are safer for cross-border transactions. Thales developed the fingerprint-enabled card, put together its packaging and is overseeing the cards’ distribution.

The companies say the fingerprint biometric sensor is designed to be more accurate than the sensors on mobile devices.

Thales supplies biometric technology for Mastercard and its partner, Fingerprint Cards, which alluded to this partnership in October, The Paypers report says. The Poland rollout joins an announcement earlier this month that the companies will provide biometric credit cards in Jordan.

Corporate customers get first access to Bank Pocztowy’s biometric cards, with small- to medium-sized businesses getting their shot in January 2022.

Related: Biometric Identity Tools to Play Key Role in Solving COVID-19 Public Health Puzzle

Meanwhile, Jumio is pumping out vaccine passports that it believes will help governments around the world contain the ongoing spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, even as the omicron variant continues to infect more people.

“For life to get back to normalcy, and to do it in a safe manner, it is critical that we have as many vaccinations as possible,” Jumio Chief Product Officer Bala Kumar told PYMNTS in a recent interview. “Therefore, having proof of vaccination is also going to be critical for people in the near term. I don’t see a pathway in the next 12 to 18 months where life can go on without proof of vaccination.”

Also read: Poland Anticompetition Watchdog Investigates Apple’s Privacy Settings Changes

Last week, Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) launched an investigation into the change in privacy and personal data rules on Apple devices.

The anticompetition watchdog said in a Dec. 13 statement that the change under review relates to the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy that requires app developers to seek iPhone users’ permission to track their activity for ad targeting.