NEC lead Mastercard’s checkout programme

NEC Corporation is taking a lead role in expanding the Mastercard Biometric Checkout Programme in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. The two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to integrate NEC’s face recognition and liveness verification technology into the program, aiming to encourage adoption among regional merchants.

Launched in May the previous year with early adopters in Brazil, the Mastercard Biometric Checkout Programme offers a technology framework for authenticating in-store transactions using the payer’s smile or hand, addressing security, biometric performance, data protection, and privacy requirements.

At the Singapore Fintech Festival, NEC and Mastercard are showcasing the payment experience. According to Mastercard’s research from the previous year, 82% of consumers in the APAC region already engage with at least one form of biometrics.

NEC, with a history of biometric technology research dating back to 1971, has been a program partner with Mastercard since its launch. The Bio-IDiom brand encompasses NEC’s biometric authentication suite, including face, iris, palmprint, finger vein, voice, and ear acoustic recognition.

Mastercard suggests that merchants adopting the NEC-enabled program will benefit from shorter lines, increased security, more hygienic conditions, and the potential for integrating loyalty programs to provide faster, more tailored offers at the point of purchase.