Voice-activated credit cards, as demonstrated by the Beepcard from technology firm Comdot, which does not work until it hears its owner’s voice, could be a valuable weapon in the fight against credit card fraud. The card, which has a built-in voice recognition chip and microphone, works by asking users to give a spoken password that is authenticated by the chip. By this means, even if a thief obtains a credit card holder’s PIN or password, the owner’s voice has to be accurately replicated. Beepcard is intended to prevent thieves using a stolen credit card, or the unauthorized purchase of goods online with a credit card.
If Beepcard, which packs a voice-recognition chip, microphone, loudspeaker and battery into a prototype that is three times as thick as a standard credit card, is priced competitively, authenticated transactions would be possible anywhere without requiring card reader hardware, according to security expert, Bruce Schneier. Visa has not investigated the building of voice recognition into credit card transactions, but emphasizes that if it did so, user-friendliness would be a priority. For now, Beepcard is equipping its non-replaceable battery with sufficient power to make 10 transactions per day for 10 years.
An earlier version of Beepcard was devised in 2001 to secure online payment transactions, but this latest version prevents real-world credit card fraud by verifying both its user’s spoken password and its own ID code (in the form of a squawk), which changes each time the card is used. Cardholders depress a button on the corner of the card to activate it, and are prompted to say their password, which is authenticated by the voice-recognition software. Next, the card emits its ID squawk for verification by the server, and the transaction proceeds in a process devised to ensure that the end-user actually has the card to hand.
The Daily Telegraph