Poland gets Europe's first biometric ATM shared network

Polish ATM shared network Planet Cash is installing nearly 2000 machines equipped with finger vein technology, enabling users to withdraw cash without a card.

Planet Cash parent ITCard has contracted with Hitachi Europe for the implementation of the latter's biometric finger vein readers at 1730 Wincor Nixdorf and Diebold ATMs around Poland.

The readers will be introduced this year, enabling customers of participating banks to withdraw cash and perform other operations using their finger, without use of a card and PIN.

ITCard says that "a number of top commercial banks are very interested in joining the biometric scheme".

Biometrics has been taken up enthusiastically by the Polish banking industry. Getin Bank and Bank BPH both use finger vein tech in branch, while several cooperative banks tap it for ATM withdrawals.

Tadeusz Woszczyński, regional manager, Central Eastern Europe, information systems group, Hitachi Europe, says: "The Planet Cash project is the biggest step so far for ATMs in Europe that utilises Finger Vein technology to create a new standard for secure, quick and convenient banking transactions for society."

Channels

Retail banking Security Payments

Keywords

Cards Authentication Automated teller machines and network services Biometrics

Comments: (1)

A Finextra member 14 May, 2014, 14:07

Be the first to give this comment the thumbs up

0 likes

So finfer vein technology is the biometric of choice in Poland. In the Nordics it appears to be reducing your face to a number or dot. For Apple (for now at least) the fingerprint is sufficient. I have also seen enthusiastic presentations for Voice technology.

My concern is we do not have a singe preferred option with all the rules and standards that go with it. I wonder which one (if any) will win in the end.