Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for the positive identification of an individual wishing to undertake a financial transaction over a telecommunication medium. Financial, fingerprint and image data of an individual are encrypted and stored on a smart card. A person offering the card for a financial transaction has a fingerprint taken from which an encryption key is determined and used to decrypt the fingerprint and image data held on the card. If the fingerprint data obtained from the person matches the fingerprint data of the individual stored on the card, then the image stored on the card is displayed for further identification of the person. Devices are described which enable this identification method to be used in conjunction with an EFTPOS terminal or similar.