Fingerprint Cards has a new partner in its efforts to target the emerging biometric payment cards market: the company has announced a new partnership with Valid that will see the latter take advantage of FPC’s T-Shape fingerprint sensor module for smart card applications.

Valid originally started up in Brazil over half a century ago as a subsidiary of the British banknote, stamp, and passport maker De La Rue. Today, Valid offers a wide range of digital-focused services, including certifications, credential issuance, product tracking, and more. The company stakes claim to being the biggest issuer of identity documents in Brazil the fifth largest SIM card producer in the world, and one of the top ten global banking card makers.

“Valid is an innovator in the global market for secure payments, and an especially strong player in the US and Latin America regions,” commented Fingerprint Cards VP Thomas Rex in a statement announcing the Valid partnership. “We are excited about this collaboration and to see our outstanding T-Shape now being integrated into all top five payment smartcard suppliers globally.”

For Valid’s part, the company’s Chief Operating Officer for the US region, Alberto Hernandez, lauded FPC for its fingerprint recognition technology. “We chose the biometric solution from Fingerprints since they have the leading technology in the market, with proven biometric performance and the lowest power consumption, which is of highest importance for contactless biometric cards.”

The partnership’s announcement marks the latest step forward for FPC in the world of biometric payment cards, arriving on the heels of Cornèrcard’s launch of a limited edition biometric Visa card featuring Fingerprint Cards’ biometric technology.