ABU DHABI: Following Al Hilal Bank’s system to use national ID cards as ATM cards at its bank machines, UAE residents are looking forward to the next useful function.
The Emirates identity Authority (EIDA) that issues ID cards has already announced that ID cards can also be used as debit or credit card.
The trials have proved that the ID card can be used as bank cards at bank machines and at point-of-sale terminals — retail points where bank cards are used to purchase goods and services — and for online payments, said Dr Ali Al Khoury, Director General of EIDA.
Once bank cards are integrated into ID cards, customers can avoid carrying multiple cards and remembering personal identification numbers (PINs). The financial institutions can save the costs of making and delivering plastic cards. Some 10.4 million debit and credit cards were in circulation in the UAE in 2012, according to the UAE Central Bank.
The Ministry of Labour has already announced it is replacing its labour cards with the ID card from early 2014. Although the ministry did not reveal the number of labour cards issued, it said it receives one million applications for new work permits and another million for renewal of these permits every year.
The e-gate card, which helps fast-track immigration clearance using smart technology at the UAE’s entry and exit points, is already optionally integrated with ID cards.
The e-gate card not only takes one through immigration faster but also saves space on a passenger’s passport as it eliminates the need for a manual stamp before every journey outside the country.
The UAE driving licence will also be integrated with the ID card in future.
