UGM Students Develop Jempol Payment, Paying via Fingerprint Without a Card

A team of students from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has surpassed recent innovations by creating a fingerprint-based digital payment system. Under the Student Creativity Programme for Creative Works (PKM-KC), the UGM team proposed the idea, which they named PolPay (Jempol Payment).

With PolPay, users can carry out transactions without a card or mobile phone by utilising biometric authentication.

The innovation was developed by five UGM students: Tiara Ramadhani (Actuarial Science 2025/FMIPA) as team leader, Al Farabi Obiansyah (Mechanical Engineering 2025/FT), Marcelino Budi Prakasya (Computer Science 2025/FMIPA), Muhammad Fakhri Ghonim Setyanda (Electronics and Instrumentation 2025/FMIPA), and M. Rakhma Aifil Indira (Actuarial Science 2025/FMIPA), with Mokhammad Fajar Pradipta, S.Si., M.Eng. as supervising lecturer.

PolPay integrates a fingerprint sensor with an Electronic Data Capture (EDC) device. This allows users to authenticate using their fingerprint, while the verification process is carried out through a biometric system developed by the team.

PolPay utilises edge computing technology to process biometric data. The data is then sent to the server in encrypted form using Advanced Encryption Standard 256-bit (AES-256) and secured through SSL/TLS protocols.

PolPay is designed to prioritise security and to serve as a more affordable alternative to similar biometric payment systems that require high-cost infrastructure.

With this concept, the team has developed a payment technology that does not depend on owning a card or a mobile phone during the transaction process.

One of the team members, Marcelino, said the PolPay team continues to discover various aspects that can be improved during the design process.

He explained that the implementation of privacy-preserved architecture and edge computing architecture is an important part of ensuring user security.

“Developing this system requires in-depth research and a considerable amount of time. Every day, we still find various gaps that can be innovated, whether through updating the way the software works or using more optimal components,” said Marcelino on the UGM website, Saturday (15/8/2026).

The development of PolPay has received funding under the PKM Creative Works scheme. The PolPay team will prepare for their journey to the National Student Scientific Week (PIMNAS) in November 2026.