Systems and methods for facilitating network transactions based on user authentication

A computer-implemented method for use in facilitating authentication of a user in connection with a network transaction, the method comprising:

• in response to an authentication request for a network transaction:
• identifying, by a computing device of an issuer, a card based on the authentication request and a user profile specific to the card, the card associated with a payment account issued by the issuer, and the card having a device ID specific to the card;
• and
• transmitting, by the computing device, an authentication command to the identified card based on the device ID specific to the card;
• receiving, at the card, the authentication command from the computing device via a wireless communication path between the issuer and the card, the card including a light-emitting diode (LED) and a biometric sensor;
• in response to the authentication command, toggling, by the card, the LED on and off at a defined interval, thereby instructing a user associated with the card to provide a biometric to the card for use in authenticating the user;
• capturing, at the biometric sensor of the card, biometric data from the user in response to the user presenting the biometric to the biometric sensor of the card;
• comparing the captured biometric data with reference biometric data stored in a memory of the card;
• and
• returning, by the card, via the wireless communication path, a command reply to the computing device of the issuer including an authentication result for the user based on the comparison between the captured biometric data and the reference biometric data, thereby permitting the issuer to employ the authentication result of the user in connection with the network transaction.