Data carrier.

A data carrier being preferably shaped as a personal card holding information about the owner, the card issuing organization, account number, etc., and being intended for manual utilization at the place of use or by means of a read in/read out device comprised in a terminal equipment. Said data carrier comprising means for internal processing of supplied identification information of the owner during a verification process and for generating an acceptance signal as a result of a verification of the identity and/or right of the owner to use the data carrier. In said means a verification device is provided for carrying out said verification process and comprising a sensor device (2) for sensing a finger tip of the owner and obtainng the corresponding papillary line information. Said sensor device comprising sensing elements having each a sensing surface (9') for contacting the finger tip and a registration means (23, 34), which may be controlled by said surface and the registration state of which during the sensing operation is defined dependent on the relative positions of the sensing surface and a papillary line. Means (3) are provided for reading said state of registration, signal processing means (4) are provided for forming an identification bit sequence from the registration state information of said registration means obtained by said reading, memory means (6) are provided for permanent storage of a previously and correspondingly obtained reference bit sequence, comparator means (5) are provided for comparing said identification bit sequence and said reference bit sequence and for generating said acceptance signal when the degree of coincidence between said bit sequencies is acceptable, and means are provided for the control and current supply (8, 10) of said verification device during the verification device.