What Is a Biometric Card: No More Pin or Signature

An innovative payment card technology called a biometric card offers cardholders a secure and convenient way to authenticate themselves at the point of sale (POS) by using their fingerprint instead of a personal identification number (PIN) or signature. Cardholders don’t need to enter a PIN for high-value transactions, making transactions faster and easier. An added layer of security reduces concerns about the card or PIN theft and increases confidence in using the card, especially when traveling, because you don’t have to worry about fraudulent payments even if your card is stolen or lost.

How It Works: Easy and Safe Transaction

Up to three digital templates of fingers can be added to the card during enrollment and the biometric data is securely stored on the card. Depending on the issuer’s policy, the enrollment can be done at home or at a supervised, in-person location selected by the issuer. In order to make a payment, cardholders can tap or insert their biometric card at a standard EMV point-of-sale terminal with the enrolled finger placed, usually the thumb, on a sensor built into the card. The biometric card instantly verifies the card user’s identity, eliminating the need to enter a PIN. If the biometric match is successful, the card user is authenticated and the transaction proceeds.

Without providing any biometric information to the merchant, a biometric card scans the fingerprint and compares it to the fingerprint templates stored on the card. At the point of sale, the card compares the scanned image to the fingerprint templates stored on it. The enrolled fingerprint template cannot be modified or shared outside the card. The biometric templates are strongly encrypted and protected from unauthorized access to prevent any fraudulent modification. It is not necessary for the biometric data to leave the card because the enrolled templates are not stored by the issuer and the scanned image is not shared with the merchant. As a result, the biometric information is protected and cannot be accessed nor used outside the card.

Solution to Financial Exclusion

Financial inclusion is a priority for the banking industry because many people around the world do not use financial services for a variety of reasons. A biometric payment card can provide a solution to millions of people with learning disabilities, literacy issues or visual impairments, who may struggle with traditional payment methods. Biometric fingerprint authentication can improve financial inclusion for these people by providing a convenient, simple and secure way to use cards to make payments, replacing other common forms of verification such as a written signature or a PIN number.

Samsung Paves the Way for Mainstream Adoption

Biometric identity verification is becoming increasingly preferred for its convenience, and the demand for more robust verification solutions is growing. The main technical obstacle to bringing biometric cards into the mainstream has been reducing production costs while maintaining all the advanced biometric security features. Samsung has found a solution to reduce costs without sacrificing functionality by developing a single-chip through technology integration. The single-chip solution combines Samsung’s proprietary technologies such as the fingerprint sensor, secure processor, secure element and proprietary software to create the industry’s first all-in-one security chip solution for biometric cards.

Samsung’s Biometric Card IC solution makes it easier for banks and other organizations to create and distribute their biometric payment cards. The single chip solution can help card manufacturers reduce the number of chips required and streamline card design processes for biometric payment cards by combining the three essential functions in a single chip. Furthermore, Samsung’s proprietary fingerprint authentication algorithm and anti-spoofing technology enable safer transactions.

Samsung’s new payment solution has the potential to disrupt the previous industry standard and open up a new market growth opportunity due to its performance and design efficiency. According to Gwanbon Koo, Vice President of the Security & Power Product Development Team, “The product positions Samsung as a first mover in the next-generation payment IC market, and Samsung will contribute to the expansion of the biometric card market by presenting a completely new payment experience.”

“S3B512C combines a fingerprint sensor, Secure Element (SE) and Secure Processor, adding an extra layer of authentication and security in payment cards,” said Kenny Han, Vice President of System LSI Marketing at Samsung Electronics. “The S3B512C is primarily designed for payment cards but can also be used in cards that require highly secured authentications such as student or employee identification, membership or building access.”

The new security IC is the industry’s first all-in-one security chip solution that reads biometric information through a fingerprint sensor, stores and authenticates encrypted data with a tamper-proof SE, and analyzes and processes data with a Secure Processor. With the three key functions integrated in a single chip, the S3B512C can help card manufacturers reduce the number of chips required and optimize card design processes for biometric payment cards.

With the new security IC embedded, biometric payment cards will allow faster and safer interactions when making purchases. The biometric authentication removes the need to enter a PIN on a keypad and also prevents fraudulent transactions made with lost or stolen cards as it verifies the cardholder’s identity using a unique and securely stored fingerprint.

The solution’s encrypted fingerprint data is stored in a SE that has received globally accredited certifications such as EMVCo and CC EAL 6+. To safely and accurately verify the user’s identity, the new IC comes with a proprietary fingerprint authentication algorithm and a Secure Processor that extracts and analyzes the unique features of the fingerprint placed on the sensor. Furthermore, the chip’s anti-spoofing technology prevents unauthorized users from circumventing the security system with illegitimate methods such as artificial fingerprints.

Currently, customers are working closely with Samsung to utilize the company’s cutting-edge 8-inch technology offerings in various applications. All 8-inch offerings, ranging from 180nm to 65nm, are processed at Line 6, a highly automated facility in Giheung, Korea.

“Customers’ interests are very high given the industry’s needs for alternative 8-inch solutions.” said Ryan Lee, Vice President of Foundry Marketing at Samsung Electronics. “By expanding our technology offerings into the RF/IoT and fingerprint segments, we will enable our customers to take advantage of Samsung’s state-of-the-art 8-inch solutions in a broader range of applications”.

Samsung’s 8-inch process technology offerings now include the following solutions;

• eFlash : 130nm, 65nm
• Power: 130nm, 90nm (BCD+eFlash)
• Display Driver IC : 180nm, 130nm, 90nm, 70nm
• CMOS Image Sensor: 90nm
• RF/IoT : 90nm (Ultra low leakage device)
• Fingerprint Sensor: 180nm

The 8-inch foundry market has been one of the focal points since Samsung Foundry became a separate business last May. In this regard, Samsung has firmly established customer centric 8-inch service capabilities with great multi project wafer (MPW) programs as well as intellectual property (IP), and launched the Samsung Advanced Foundry Ecosystem (SAFE^TM) program this year.

For more information about Samsung Foundry, please visit https://www.samsungfoundry.com

Samsung Electronics, today celebrates the one year anniversary of Samsung Pay, the most widely accepted mobile payment system, with about 100 million unique transactions in seven countries to date.

“Since its introduction a year ago, Samsung Pay continues to lead mobile payments by providing services that are simple, secure and virtually anywhere,” said Injong Rhee, CTO and EVP of Software and Services, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “Our ambition to reach a world without wallets continues to draw ever closer, and this strong consumer adoption signals a shift in behavior and demonstrates the continued enthusiasm for a safer, smarter and better mobile wallet.”

Global Market and Partnership Ecosystem

Samsung Pay pushes to grow and provide enhanced services, making it a holistic digital wallet extending beyond just credit or debit cards. Users can add membership cards, gift cards and redeem coupons, and today there are more than 4 million registered membership cards in the United States and South Korea, providing more convenient and flexible payment experiences in users’ everyday lives.* Samsung Pay also continues to add banking and merchant partners across the globe, with more than 440 bank issuers currently supported by the service.**

Across Korea specifically, the market has processed more than 2 trillion won in transactions with more than 25 percent of the transactions made online. Nearly 11 million cards related to value-added services, including membership, ATM and transit cards, have been registered, demonstrating the clear shift in consumer behavior and benefits Samsung Pay brings to users in Korea.

More Than a Payment Service

Samsung Pay, a secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service, can be used to make purchases nearly everywhere cards are accepted.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, users can simply swipe up on their eligible Galaxy smartphone, scan their fingerprint and pay.
• SECURE: Samsung Pay uses three levels of security to enable secure payments: fingerprint or iris-scanning authentication, tokenization and Samsung Knox, Samsung’s defense-grade mobile security platform.
• ALMOST ANYWHERE*: Samsung Pay is compatible with the majority of existing and new terminals, allowing users to pay almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your card.

Samsung Pay is currently available on select Galaxy devices including the new Galaxy Note7, Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, S6 edge+, Note5 as well as premium and mid-range options like the 2016 models of the Galaxy A5, A7 and A9.*

*Visit www.samsung.com/pay for the list of partners that support Samsung Pay.
**Availability may vary by each region and market condition.

What makes Samsung Pay different than other mobile payment systems is that it supports both MST and NFC technology, meaning consumers can use their mobile wallet at any store with credit card magnetic stripe readers and contactless payment support. What makes Samsung Pay more secure?

Samsung Pay’s Five Levels of Security

1. Samsung Pay does not display card information

When making payments with Samsung Pay, no personal payment information such as user name and card number is displayed on the screen.

2. Tokenization helps secure your personal payment information

To replace credit card information, an encrypted token is used when making payments, so even in the case that the vendor’s POS terminal is hacked, personal payment information remains safe. The encrypted token is used only once and discarded after each payment.

3. Fingerprint / PIN authentication

Fingerprint or PIN registration is required to authenticate every payment. Only the user can authorize payments, reducing risk of fraud.

4. KNOX

Samsung Pay offers higher security through Samsung KNOX mobile security platform, which monitors device, detecting hacking risks and malicious activity.

5. Find My Mobile

In the case that a user might lose a phone, Find My Mobile (FMM) enables the user to lock device remotely or erase all personal payment information.

Simple to Use

In addition to being more secure and more universally accepted, Samsung Pay is easy to use. After registering with a Samsung account, users can complete registration in four steps. Simply scan or manually input card information, then scan fingerprint and/or input PIN for authentication. Verify card with the issuer and register signature (may vary according to location).

Once Samsung Pay is registered, accessing is simple. Finger swipe up on the locked screen, home screen or sleep mode to launch Samsung Pay. Swipe side to side to view and choose a registered card. To pay, simply scan fingerprint or enter PIN to authorize payments.

Samsung Pay is easy, secure and expedites the shopping experience. Samsung Pay is available on the Galaxy S6, the Galaxy S6 edge, the Galaxy S6 edge+ and the Galaxy Note5. Samsung Pay will also support NFC technology on the Gear S2.