MasterCard have announced a “next generation biometric card” which embeds fingerprint recognition into debit cards. Interesting.

It is called Pick N Pay, users place their thumb on a card which includes a fingerprint reader and still require you to enter your pin, but helps if you lose the card as to use the card it requires both the number and thumbprint to match.

MasterCard is piloting this feature in Europe, Asia and South Africa and expects to to be fully rolled out by the end of 2017. Small win for security but it raises HUGE questions about privacy.

 TechCrunch’s write-up, emphasis added:

One relatively large drawback for the convenience of the biometric card is that the spokeswoman confirmed users are currently required to go to a bank branch in order to register and enroll their fingerprint. (Which is then converted into an encrypted digital template that is stored on the card.)

So banks will have a Physical copy of YOUR FINGERPRINT! When Gizmodo reached out to Mastercard about this they ensured them that the data is encrypted before being stored on the chip and once on the chip it cannot be retrieved.

To listen to the guys chatting about this please click here!