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Fingerprints Replace Credit Cards in Seattle

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the well-in-one-store-anyway dept.

prostoalex writes "According to CNET News.com, Thriftway introduced biometric systems in its Seattle stores as far back as 2002. The customer would have to be identified first and submit his own fingerprints, as well as register credit cards with the grocery store. But then a Pay By Touch system became quite popular among the store regulars. According to CNET, "one man even drove 400 miles to use the technology". The store also reports 0% of such transactions being fraudulent."

2 of 376 comments (clear)

  1. Kind of scary actually by DarKry · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Someone may have more experience with this than I do, but this is a bit scary. Has anyone else read the book "Stealing the Network". It goes into some detail on the subject of synthetic fingerprints and just how easy they are to make at home. The book is at home and I am at work or I would post the links that they have as refereneces. I can see the usefulness of the fingerprint perhaps replacing the signature or pin number, but the whole credit card!!! I don't know about you guys but when I realize that I left my credit card sitting around in a public place I freak out. I guess I am going to have to wear gloves from now on, or carry around a bottle of cleaning solution everywhere I go.

    Someone with more experience please comment, especially if you have the links from that book, I am curious to read up.

    Thanks

    --
    Crawl This - http://darkry.net/test/test.php
  2. 2 Questions by bwcarty · · Score: 5, Interesting

    1) Have sales of gummy bears experienced a dramatic surge in the area?

    and...

    2) Can I choose which finger to give them for my biometrics?