DrnkPay is an app which promises to connect your credit and debit cards to a breathalyser or biosensor wearable to stop drunken spending.
iBe TSE, a financial services consultancy, saw the need for the new system after research revealed half of UK alcohol drinkers aged 18-34 admitted they have regretted a purchase made when drunk. Unusual examples of drunk purchases include flying lessons, a rowing club lifetime membership for someone who doesn’t row, £250 vintage Star Wars toys, 30 pairs of flip flops, a caravan and even a live chicken.
Francesco Scarnera, CEO of iBe TSE explains:
“This is a problem many of us have encountered, so we decided to create a simple solution which uses the latest technology. Once you’ve hit your self-imposed limit, the app will lock your card and prevent you making further payments. It’s up to you whether to block all payments, or just certain ‘weak points’, such as takeaways, clubs, or that flight that seems like such a great idea at 4am.â€
iBe TSE is currently in discussions with a number of banks and card providers about rolling the technology out to their customers within the next 12 months. The aim is for the system to be offered for free by providers looking to help their customers control their spending.
DrnkPay not only helps control spending, but also creates awareness as to how much the user is drinking. When setting up the app ahead of a night out, the user selects how many drinks they plan to have, which DrnkPay converts to units of alcohol in the background. Before every purchase, the user blows into the breathalyser, which, as it’s connected to the app, will inform the drinker how close to their limit they are before they get to the bar. This stops the user from getting carried away, and ordering more drinks than they intended.
The app includes a ‘Help me out’ feature, where users can book an emergency Uber to get home safely.
How it works
- Users link cards to the DrnkPay app (iOS and Android), then select the number of drinks they wish to have in advance (e.g. 3 pints of beer).
- The types of payments to block are selected (e.g. bars / pubs, food, online shopping or all categories)
- All cards are then blocked for 12 hours.
- A breathalyser, which is connected to the system via bluetooth, is used before each purchase to authorise payment.
- If the user is under their pre-defined limit, the relevant cards are activated and payments can be made.
- If the user is over their limit, their cards are blocked and cannot be used.
Alternatively, if people do not want to carry around a breathalyser, they can use the soon-to-be-launched Quantac Tally, a wearable biosensor which constantly analyses the alcohol content in the user’s bloodstream.
Here’s a video showing you more about DrnkPay:
