Around 200 customers will be the first recipients to use the cards which include a fing​erprint sensor on the card body.

Their fingerprints are enrolled at a bank branch on a tablet with the data then ported over to the card itself. In the future, customers may be able to enrol their fingerprints using their smartphones. Digital security company Gemalto, which developed the technology, said that as the fingerprint check is made directly by the card itself, sales terminals will not need to be updated.

Asked about any plans to roll out the fingerprint technology more widely, NatWest said the initiative is in its early stages and it will see how the trial evolves.

As well as perhaps being simpler than keying in a PIN, such technology could potentially help people who have difficulty remembering number codes, so it may be useful to vulnerable customers.

David Crawford, head of effortless payments at NatWest, said: “We are using the very latest technology across our business to make banking easier for our customers and biometric fingerprint cards are one of the many technologies we are exploring further. This is the biggest development in card technology in recent years and we are excited to trial the service.”

Howard Berg, UK managing director of Gemalto, said: “Using a fingerprint rather than a Pin code to authorise transactions has many advantages, primarily enhanced security and greater convenience. Cardholders can pay quickly and easily with just a simple touch, and they no longer need to worry about the limit on contactless payment transactions.”

Last year the Church of England started experimenting with contactless payment collection plates due to the declining use of cash in the UK. 

Around 200 customers will be the first recipients to use the cards which include a fing​erprint sensor on the card body.

Their fingerprints are enrolled at a bank branch on a tablet with the data then ported over to the card itself. In the future, customers may be able to enrol their fingerprints using their smartphones. Digital security company Gemalto, which developed the technology, said that as the fingerprint check is made directly by the card itself, sales terminals will not need to be updated.

Asked about any plans to roll out the fingerprint technology more widely, NatWest said the initiative is in its early stages and it will see how the trial evolves.

As well as perhaps being simpler than keying in a PIN, such technology could potentially help people who have difficulty remembering number codes, so it may be useful to vulnerable customers.

David Crawford, head of effortless payments at NatWest, said: “We are using the very latest technology across our business to make banking easier for our customers and biometric fingerprint cards are one of the many technologies we are exploring further. This is the biggest development in card technology in recent years and we are excited to trial the service.”

Howard Berg, UK managing director of Gemalto, said: “Using a fingerprint rather than a Pin code to authorise transactions has many advantages, primarily enhanced security and greater convenience. Cardholders can pay quickly and easily with just a simple touch, and they no longer need to worry about the limit on contactless payment transactions.”

Last year the Church of England started experimenting with contactless payment collection plates due to the declining use of cash in the UK.