Fingerprint module maker CrucialTec and smart card firm Kona-I said Wednesday that they have developed a plastic card fitted with a fingerprint module, which the partners said would help beef up the security of financial transactions.

The credit card will allow users to directly identify themselves by scanning their fingerprints on the biometric module installed in the 0.84-millimeter plastic card.

The card, also fitted with a film-type rechargeable battery, can be used for more than 1,000 times with a full charge at the moment, but the count will increase when it goes into mass production as early as this year.

“The biometric module requires very litttle power and can run on a low-end embedded CPU at a fast speed,” the fingerprint module manufacturer said in a press release.

“The credit card with increased security measures will be received well in the market,” said CrucialTec CEO Charles Ahn, adding that “the company will increase its presence with the fingerprint modules in different segments including smartphone, credit card, PC, and health care system.”

Citing market researcher ABI Research’s data that the number of integrated circuit cards that meet global standards will increase 30 percent to 3.5 billion from 2015 to 2020, the two partners said the demand for biometric cards will be on the rise in the coming years.

“The (biometric credit card) technology will replace password or authentication certificates in various sectors that require personal identification, including security, finance and the Internet of Things,” Kona-I CEO Cho Jung-il said.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)