Fingerprints have long been used as a method of identification and authentication, but they’ve so far failed to find a day-to-day purpose.
There are thoughts that Apple is set to include fingerprint technology in future generations of the iPhone, possibly for authentication, and then maybe for providing security for its own mobile payment system.
But there’s another use of fingerprints currently being trialled by a Spanish company called Paytouch, which lets account holders link their fingerprints to a credit card, and then pay for items using a scan of two fingers.
Here’s Paytouch in action:
The system is currently only in use in a single hotel in Ibiza, but is looking to expand through Spain and further afield in the coming months.
Fingerprint readers aren’t particularly new, indeed, payment by fingerprint has been done before, but failed to take off, so it will be good to see what Paytouch does differently.
Personally, I’m not sure it brings much more convenience or indeed security than card or mobile phone payment systems, so I doubt it will take off.