Thales Provides Jordan...

• Jordan Kuwait Bank Mastercard World Elite customers can now enjoy unlimited contactless payments with Thales' biometric-enabled EMV cards.
• Thales' secure technology ensures the biometric data is saved only on the card and cannot be accessed or used by any other parties.

Thales is supplying Jordan Kuwait Bank (JKB) with contactless biometric EMV bank cards to allow the bank's customers to authorize transactions using a built-in fingerprint scanner. In partnership with TESCO, Thales' biometric cards are the first commercialized cards in the region and will provide ground-breaking EMV payment solutions across existing contactless and Chip and PIN terminals or online.

The biometric cards will be distributed to JKB's Mastercard World Elite customers who will enroll their fingerprints on the biometric card without the need of visiting a branch. The contactless payment experience is enhanced and totally secured without the usual payment limits. The fingerprint is instantly compared with the cardholder's biometric data, which are safely stored in the card. Thales' secure technology ensures the biometric data is safely stored on the card and cannot be accessed or used by other parties.

As well as enhancing contactless functionality, the fully integrated card can be used at ATMs and for online shopping. The battery-less card is powered through the card terminal and when a customer presents the card, a green light on the card indicates that the fingerprint has been matched successfully. With fingerprint recognition, cardholders are automatically authenticated, without the need of entering the PIN code at the point-of-sale terminal to validate a transaction.

"JKB is committed to offering its customers the latest and most innovative banking services and payment solutions. Driven by customers' increased need for fully contactless payment options in response to the COVID pandemic, we are proud to launch the first contactless biometric EMV bank card in the region incorporating Thales' advanced payment solutions, whereby the use of the finger print is more convenient than the four digit PIN as well as safer being a fully contactless experience. "

Suhail Salman, Head of Retail Business at JKB

"We have ensured that the built-in fingerprint scanners in the biometric EMV cards uses the latest pioneering technology to assure fast, contactless and secure transactions to JKB's customers. Customer needs are fast evolving, and we aim to offer the most innovative, still secure, experiences to meet these needs and build a future we can all trust."

Nassir Ghrous, Senior Vice President, Banking and Payment Services for Southern Europe, Eurasia, Middle-East & Africa region at Thales