The days of having to enter your PIN at a cash machine or till could soon be over after a credit card featuring a biometric fingerprint scanner was unveiled.

Mastercard has introduced the payments card in South Africa, following successful trials with a local bank and retailer. Instead of requiring its owner to enter a four-digit personal identification number (PIN), it features a small area that can verify the card user's fingerprints.

It is hoped that the technology will lead to quicker and safer transactions. To use it, a shopper must simply hold the card by the fingerprint sensor and insert it into a card reader. The technology then verifies the fingerprint and approves the transaction without requiring a PIN, and works with existing payment terminals.