A card, such as a credit or identification card, including an authenticating element for authenticating the card with a service provider, a fingerprint reader integral with the card for reading a fingerprint provided by a user of the card, and a processing element for comparing the fingerprint provided by the user to a fingerprint of an owner of the card to confirm that the user is the owner. In one variation, there is also provided a means for determining whether an object presented to the fingerprint reader is a finger of the user presenting the card.
