Sella pilots biometric credit card in Italy

By Gloria Methri

Italy’s Sella Group is trialling a biometric recognition credit card that allows people to make payments using their fingerprints. Users can now authorise contactless payments by simply placing their finger on the credit cards.

The pilot project is being led by Sella Personal Credit, the arm of the Sella Group specializing in credit to families, in partnership with identity tech provider Idemia. The project is targeting select customers in Italy.

Each customer will receive a kit containing a particular device or “sleeve”, allowing for the enrollment of their fingerprint on the card, without having to go to the bank branch.

Once acquired, the biometric card is ready for use and requires no batteries. The biometric chip is powered by POS in case of contact payments and a magnetic field for contactless transactions.

Placing a finger on the biometric chip on the front of the card is sufficient to authorize a payment. The biometric cards can be used worldwide and are recognizable by any EMV-certified POS and ATM terminal.

Giorgio Orioli, CEO and General Manager of Sella Personal Credit said, “This new card enables a recognition mode that daily, is already in use by many people on their smartphones. At the same time, it highlights the Group’s constant focus on offering increasingly cutting-edge solutions to meet renewed personal needs. The collaboration with IDEMIA and Visa confirms this vision, aiming to enrich our customers’ payment experience while ensuring simplicity and security.”

Meanwhile, Aaron Davis, SVP – Financial Institutions, Europe at IDEMIA said, “We are convinced that digital and innovation in payment will change how people shop and pay by bringing more convenience and security to the payment experience. Alongside our long-standing knowledge and expertise in Biometrics for decades, we are thrilled to participate in the deployment of the first biometric card in Italy issued on the VISA Scheme and look forward to shaping the future of payments with our partner Sella.