Market Trends of Global Biometric Card Industry
This section covers the major market trends shaping the Biometric Card Market according to our research experts:
Payments Segment to Show Significant Growth
Biometric technology is gaining ground in financial services as a secure and convenient alternative to passwords and PINs. This technology is increasingly being considered to have the potential to make the consumers' lives more manageable and provide them with more significant choices to confirm their identity.
According to Fingerprint Cards AB, around 6 billion payment devices are expected to be shipped annually by 2026. Also, almost all these devices are anticipated to be contactless. Moreover, the company depicts the potential Total Addressable Market (TAM) to be around 3 billion units per year for biometric sensor modules and software in the payment domain.
Considering the potential the payment sector holds for the growth of the studied market, vendors are increasingly focusing on new product launches and collaborating to facilitate the commercialization of biometric cards. For instance, in April 2022, IDEX Biometrics ASA announced its collaboration with E-Kart, one of the prominent card manufacturers in Europe, to commercialize biometric payment solutions in Eastern Europe.
Similarly, in April 2022, Fingerprint Cards AB, a global biometrics company, announced that its technology would be used as part of at least two new commercial biometric payment card launches in Morocco. Such trends are expected to support the growth of the studied market during the forecast period.
Asia Pacific to Exhibit the Highest Growth Rate
Biometric payment cards are a way to the future in the region, and there is a robust market for payment cards in the fast-paced Asia-Pacific region, even in the face of rising smartphone use. According to the People's Bank of China, the total number of bank cards in China will increase to 9,247 million in 2021, from 8,954 million in 2020.
Similarly, according to Japan Consumer Credit Association, the number of credit cards issued in Japan amounted to 295.31 million as of March 2021. It was an increase of about 0.8 percent compared to the previous year.
Various market vendors are currently working to integrate biometric technology. They will have a truly disruptive offering that will significantly expand the banking customer base in the region and integrate it with various end-users. For instance, in June 2021, IDEX Biometrics ASA, one of the prominent providers of advanced fingerprint identification and authentication solutions, announced that China Construction Bank (CCB) expanded certain "digital renminbi" trials to include the issuance of smart cards that are secured by IDEX Biometrics fingerprint sensors and biometric software.
Similarly, in July 2021, Zwipe, a biometric fintech company, announced its collaboration with the international card payment processor and card personalization bureau ICPS to bring Zwipe Pay ONE-enabled biometric payment cards to banks across Asia and Africa.
