IDEX Biometrics and KONA I are partnering to deploy biometric payment and access cards in Japan. With credit card fraud reported by Japanese companies increasing by 30% year over year to USD 294 million, banks in the market are showing interest for biometric smartcard solutions, and especially metal cards. KONA I expects banks to begin offering high-technology biometric cards to consumers in the second half of 2024.

In response to the growing demand for cybersecurity solutions by governments, public and private sector entities KONA I and IDEX Biometrics will bring state-of-the art secure ID and biometric payment card solutions to market. KONA I and IDEX Biometrics smart card platform provides the cybersecurity market with an end-to-end authentication platform focused on digital security, and compatible with standard protocols such as FIDO2, as well as biometric payments cards. Both solutions are delivered with optimal customer experiences and security by design.

KONA I is a global smart card and technology platform leader, headquartered in South Korea, manufacturing smart card products with an annual production capacity of more than 60 million cards. The fast-growing market in Japan is set to reach 30% of KONA I’s business by 2025.

Asia, including Japan, is leading the way for fingerprint biometric innovation in the payments industry, with a high penetration rate of contactless payments. Credit cards are the leading cashless payment method in Japan, and the market growing at a CAGR of 8%, is expected to reach $870 billion by 2028.

Having received COC certification from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), This is an eco-friendly card from which the natural feel of wood can be experienced by processing Finnish birch into a thin veneer plate, which is applied to a card.

Textured Wood Card applies wood on the surface of a card, enabling to feel the innate texture and pattern of wood.