New Zwipe Partner to Assess North American Market Opportunity for Biometric Cards

Zwipe is looking to further solidify its position ahead of the mass commercialization of biometric payment cards with a potentially important new partner agreement. The company has announced that it is working with ‘one of the largest global provider of payment services’ to evaluate a potential launch of biometric payment cards featuring its technology in North America.

The fingerprint biometrics specialist has not disclosed the name of its partner, but in a statement Zwipe CEO André Løvestam described it as “one of the largest and most respected payment service providers in the world.”

The agreement revolves around Zwipe Pay ONE, Zwipe’s flagship platform for fingerprint-scanning biometric cards.

Zwipe has been working to build a large network of partners around the world to help promote the use of Zwipe Pay ONE as a growing number of banks begin planning to provide biometric cards to their clients. In recent months Zwipe has built up its presence in the Middle East through partnerships with GEPCOM and QPS, and in Latin America through a partnership with IC Payment. Last week brought the news of Zwipe’s first biometric card pilot in Africa thanks to a partnership with Masria Digital Payments.

Looking to the market potential in North America, Zwipe is optimistic, noting in its announcement that a consumer study conducted in partnership with IDEX Biometrics earlier this year found strong demand signals. Seventy-seven percent of Americans surveyed said that they wanted their next payment card to be biometric, as did 81 percent of Canadians. Strong majorities were also willing to pay a monthly fee for a biometric card: 61 percent of US respondents and 63 percent of Canadians.

For his part, Løvestam emphasized the size of the North American market in commenting on the importance of Zwipe’s new partnership.

“This agreement will provide the opportunity to accelerate the adoption of next generation biometric payment cards in some of the largest credit card markets in the world,” he said. “We look forward to a mutually rewarding partnership.”