Banco Santander and Gemalto are teaming to provide university students in Brazil with multi-functional cards that can be used for EMV payments and contactless access to campus buildings.
Under its universities programme, Santander has already started distributing the cards to students at Anhanguera University's campus in Valinhos, São Paulo. Gemalto personalises the cards with the holders' data at it Brazilian centre.
The contactless cards are being used for access to libraries and labs, replacing a barcode system and magnetic strip. Students can also use the cards to check out books from the library and to pay at their cafeteria, for photocopying and other expenses.
The cards will be rolled out to other universities in Brazil in the future, with the bank expecting more than 100,000 students to be using the technology by the end of the year.
Gemalto says that in future new applications could be added to the cards by universities to fit the needs of their students.
Possible additions include digital signature, integration with public transportation, the provision of access to university computer networks and contactless registration for classes.
Samuelson Drumond, university card manager, Santander in Brazil, says: "It opens up an array of options to differentiate the university in the service provision to students. Besides complying to the current universities' technology, the card also allows for a technological leap."