Eastern Bank (EBL) and Norway-based card manufacturer IDEX Biometrics have partnered to launch a biometric metal card in Bangladesh. According to the agreement they signed, this card will provide advanced security features and seamless transaction capabilities, offering financial solutions and ensuring a secure and flexible payment experience for cardholders.

EBL expressed its enthusiasm to introduce the biometric metal cards feature provided by IDEX Biometrics to its customers, complying with all regulatory requirements in Bangladesh, adding that it is one of the first banks to offer this latest technology. Moreover, it states that biometric payment cards are expected to become the new payment standard, enabling secure contactless payments, and ultimately ensuring financial acquiescence. As per an official press release, EBL's premium customers will be the first group to receive these new contactless cards driving seamless payments across Bangladesh and Asia.

More about IDEX Biometrics’ metal card features IDEX Biometrics is a company specialising in biometric fingerprint sensor technology. With a focus on providing secure and convenient authentication solutions, IDEX has developed fingerprint sensor technologies for a variety of applications widely used in smart cards, payment cards, access control systems, and other devices, offering users a reliable way to authenticate their identities. With an annual production capacity exceeding 30 million cards, the company holds certifications from Visa, Mastercard, and other payment schemes.

With a total market size of 40 million cards in 2023, the metal card segment is expanding amongst premium customers across Europe (44% projected YoY growth), Latin America (61%), and Asia, outpacing with 103%. Therefore, biometric metal cards are expected to revolutionise premium card programmes, with strong demand from banks in APAC, Eastern Europe, and South America. In recent months, IDEX Biometrics entered multiple partnerships to advance its development strategy.  At the beginning of December 2023, IDEX Biometrics partnered with Toppan Gravity to launch biometric cards with IDEX Pay fingerprint authentication.

Through this collaboration, the two companies respond to the expanding demand for trusted and user-centric payment solutions. The card manufacturer also had a series of previous developments in Eastern Europe. In April 2022, IDEX Biometrics partnered with E-Kart, a joint venture with Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) and Eczacıbaşı Holding, to deliver biometric smart cards across this region.  The cards incorporated Idex’s TrustedBio Max sensors that are equipped with a proprietary ASIC-delivering biometric processing and power management, and the SLC38 security controller from Infineon Technologies.

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