NatWest trailing fingerprint card machine

200 customers will be the first to trial a new specially made card machine, using their fingerprint to secure transactions without entering any PIN numbers or writing their signature.

This new translation will not be limited to £30 like contactless transactions.

While it raises questions over how well this new system will work, it’s said to be more secure than a 4 number PIN.

The idea is to make it more secure as no information is being transferred to a bank’s database where it could be intercepted or digitally poached.

Biometric payments are already in use through mobile phone apps like Apple Pay and Google Pay and they’ve actually been tested in bank cards before.

Natwest is working with Gemalto the company has previously tested in South Africa in 2017 and again in Italy last year.

Howard Berg, UK managing director of Gemalto, said: ‘Using a fingerprint rather than a PIN code to authorise transactions has many advantages, primarily enhanced security and greater convenience.

‘Cardholders can pay quickly and easily with just a simple touch, and they no longer need to worry about the limit on contactless payment transactions.’

If the trail is successes, we could see this system being in place as soon as next year.