Mastercard Accelerates Shift to Biometric Authentication, Aims to Eliminate Passwords by 2030

The initiative comes at a time when industry projections suggest biometric payment users will reach 3.5 billion globally by 2030. According to Mastercard, the move is driven by the significant disparity between online and in-store fraud rates, with digital fraud occurring seven times more frequently than physical retail fraud.

“We are reimagining checkout with our 2030 global plan to phase out manual card and password entry online in favor of smiles and fingerprints,” Miebach said.

Tokenization remains a cornerstone of Mastercard’s security strategy, with the company now processing approximately 4 billion tokenized transactions monthly—representing a 40-fold increase over six years. The company’s 1 Credential initiative allows consumers to consolidate multiple payment options into a single tokenized credential, balancing security with user convenience.

The company’s recent acquisition of Recorded Future, a leading threat intelligence firm, strengthens its cybersecurity capabilities. Miebach emphasized that this acquisition enhances Mastercard’s ability to deploy AI-driven insights for threat prevention and security.

This strategic direction aligns with broader industry developments, including EMVCo’s ongoing work to establish standards for biometric payment cards. While consumer adoption varies by region—as evidenced by recent surveys showing mixed reception among Canadians—the technology continues to gain traction globally.

The announcement comes amid growing concerns about AI-generated fraud, with recent reports indicating that 75 percent of fraud attacks in 2024 were AI-generated. Mastercard’s comprehensive approach to security, combining biometrics, tokenization, and AI-driven threat intelligence, appears designed to address these evolving challenges in the digital payments landscape.

Source: Mitrade

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February 4, 2025 – by Cass Kennedy and Alex Perala