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Driver's License to be the Next Debit Card

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the marks-of-the-beast dept.

prostoalex writes "Your US driver's license has a magnetic stripe with unique ID in it, and your debit card carries a magnetic stripe with account information on it, so why not link the two together and allow people to use their driver's licenses as debit cards? That's precisely what a young company National Payment Card is doing in select locations, according to Business Week: 'Gas-station owners are pleased with the program too. Because NPC processes the payment as an e-check with the Automated Clearing House (ACH), a network most commonly used for direct deposits, participating retailers bypass credit card companies such as Visa and Mastercard.'"

3 of 394 comments (clear)

  1. What will happen by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    When Paris Hilton is driving on her suspended license time after time and the officers keep taking her debit card err drivers license just for her to be reissued to fund her spending sprees.

    To be honest, this is another retarded idea to get US consumers into more debt, but this will not matter because the US government is about to open the border up to 100 million Mexicans who will run across the border in the next 12 months if the amnesty plan is passed in Congress.

    As soon as that happens, WHITE AMERICANS WILL BE THE MINORITY. SPANISH THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE.

  2. Re:wont work every where by a11 · · Score: -1, Troll

    a barcode is a binary representation of data. the photo and printed text on the front is analog. retarded fuck.

  3. Re:ACH network has no consumer protections by tm2b · · Score: 0, Troll

    Frankly, so what? A bank can't stop you spending money you've alrady paid into your own account. That's not a financial risk for them. Credit is; they might be able to suspend it, but they've already lost what you've nabbed. Yet, the latter gets MORE protection? Doesn't that sound mad to you?
    Of course it does. So what? "So what" is that it's the way it is (in the US), and thus important to understand when using or implement new payment methods. Arguing that it "really" is otherwise doesn't help you when you're left to try to recover from the theft of your wallet or other kinds of fraud.

    Sure, away from the implementation details it doesn't make sense. Who cares?
    --
    "It is our blasphemy which has made us great, and will sustain us, and which the gods secretly admire in us." - Zelazny