A private-sector bank in India says it plans to deploy at least 50 biometric ATMs before March 31 next year to widen banking access to its customers, especially those who may not be able to read.
Catholic Syrian Bank Pvt. Ltd. would set up the first such ATM in the Malappuram district in Kerala, a spokesperson tells PaymentsSource. Chennai-based Vortex Engineering Pvt. Ltd., which collaborated with the Indian Institute of Technology, is providing the machines to the bank, he adds.
Instead of using a PIN for authentication, the customer would use his fingerprint to initiate the transaction, the spokesperson says. To make a withdrawal, the customer would insert his bankcard, place his thumb on the fingerprint scanner, and select the withdrawal amount.
“The ATM will provide conventional services as well as information necessary for villagers, like weather information, commodity prices and stock prices,” he says. “This kind of information is very important for farmers.”
Customers will be able to use their existing ATM cards in the biometric machines. The ATMs will work both with PIN and biometric authentication.
“The ATM also has a solar power option for operations, which makes it handy for places with power shortage,” the spokesperson says.
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