May 20, 2016
Forgetting your wallet at home will be a thing of the past when you are able to make purchases with something you can never leave behind — your face. Biometrics are going mainstream with big corporations vying for new ways to tap into the technology. They are hoping the convenience of paying for services and goods without having to dig around in your purse or pockets will entice customers to use their new offerings.
Google, Amazon and MasterCard are incorporating retina and facial recognition into their new payment systems. Over the next few months, they hope to replace traditional unsecure passwords with a selfie or a fingerprint through their app. The facial recognition is as simple as blinking for authentication, proving your identity for payment.
While most smartphone users have access to fingerprint authentication (IEEE 2410), selfie payment systems may be more secure as the authentication steps are more complex. Combining convenience, the snap of a camera and biometrics makes the selfie a viable option as a payment method for the future. Want to learn more about retail technologies of the future? Take a look at our interactive infographic.