SmartMetric, Inc. advised that it is now nearing the completion of the manufacturing of its latest version of its biometric credit card with the advanced nano fingerprint reader built inside the card. The main advanced features of the SmartMetric biometric card are: Internal rechargeable hybrid solid state battery that allows the card to be used for fingerprint recognition prior to the card being inserted into a reader. This state-of-the-art battery has been tailor made to the specifications of SmartMetric.

It is non-volatile and can withstand being cut or punctured. The physical size is less than half of the prior battery that was being used by SmartMetric. Having a power source inside the card allows the card to be used for a fingerprint scan at such places as ATMs that “swallow” the card and at restaurants where the attendant takes the card from the table to process at the counter.

Hardware solution that identifies a live fingerprint and differentiates between a real fingerprint as apposed to a fake fingerprint made of, say, silicon. This feature is unique to the SmartMetric biometric card and provides for a solid and robust live fingerprint detection. Others have said they can achieve live fingerprint detection through software.

Having an electronics circuit board with mounted electronic components that fits inside a credit card ISO thickness has always been a challenge. It has taken SmartMetric years of R&D to perfect is miniaturization to less than 1/3 the thickness of a credit card. This is an incredible achievement in the field of electronics.

Especially when you consider the SmartMetric circuit board has an ARM Cortex processor, flash memory and a complex power management system. It is akin to having a smartphone ciruit board one third the thickness of a credit card. This achievement in miniaturization has been achieved by SmartMetric engineers.

SmartMetric operating system that is used to the control the card's internal Cortex processor used to perform the fingerprint scan of the card user. This operating system also controls the card's internal power management system that allows the card to receive a rapid recharge when inserted into a “contact” credit card reader. The SmartMetric OS also allows the card to rapidly harvest RFID/NFC energy from contactless card readers when the card is used for a contactless payment.

This energy harvesting only provides enough power for a single fingerprint scan so it is limited in its use and application. Additional memory attached to the SmartMetric Cortex processor, allowing the card to be used in the future for multi usages beyond just payments. Since the SmartMetric biometric card solution does not use the cards EMV secure element but rather an independent secure processor for storing and matching the users fingerprint, the new card can be sent via mail to the card user and they are able to enroll their fingerprint much in the same way a person enrolls their fingerprint on a smartphone.

This is absolutely critical in markets such as the USA where nearly 80% of new credit cards are sent out via the mail. Imitators of the SmartMetric card use the EMV secure element for storing the card holder’s fingerprint. This of itself creates system design inefficiencies but most importantly since the enrollment of the fingerprint is into the EMV payment system secure element chip, it requires the card holder to go into a bank branch and use a special enrollment device to have their fingerprint stored in the EMV chip.

Of course, SmartMetric realized a number of years ago that this would not work in real life and would in fact inhibit the adoption of biometric credit cards. Consequently, SmartMetric spent a huge effort in providing a solution that operates like a smartphone. Simple frictionless self-fingerprint enrollment is an imperative for the design and development of the SmartMetric biometric credit card.

Perfected the method of using standard credit card lamination equipment for the final card lamination and printing process. SmartMetric is able to provide the card as a “pre-lam” product to existing credit card laminators and card personalization providers that provide card services to card issuing Banks. The SmartMetric biometric credit card solution is without a doubt without peers in the world of biometric cards.

Years of research and development with a clear objective of creating a best in class biometric card solution with a user centric focus has given SmartMetric an unbelievable new credit card category product. As guidance, SmartMetric is expecting its latest biometric card will be completed manufacturing within the next 4 to 8 weeks. That includes component assembly, card lamination and delivery.

Changes to the products componentry has had to be made due to supply chain chip issues. These issues have now been overcome and there is now no impediment to the manufacture of the SmartMetric biometric card product.