Proud Camden, a London-based bar, allows customers to pay their drinks through their fingertips with a technology that captures their finger veins linked with their debit or credit card. Together with Sthaler and Hitachi, the team brought and developed the Fingopay system respectively, for customers to have a unique and safe way of paying for their drinks.
Patrons will first have to register a card with their fingerprints and set up an account. Once they have an active account, customers can now pay with their fingerprints on a scanner, without worrying about carrying so much cash in public.
The payment system is seen to reduce waiting times at the bar. And if you ever need a receipt, the system will email it directly to your e-address.
However, Proud Camden isn't the only establishment using the finger scanner technology. Barclays Bank has used Fingopay for their commercial clients' transactions. Also, McDonald's and Co-op establishments are awaiting trials of the fingertip payment system.
Sthaler founder Nick Dryden told Sky News that the system would be rolled out in supermarket, cinemas and music festivals as well. "There are lots of applications, but what they want to know is whether you can replace a loyalty card with your finger. Lots of us forget our wallets when we go out. You probably won't forget your finger."
Sthaler has the license to use and share the technology with retailers. More businesses have applauded to the idea and said that people are now accepting biometrics as a safe and secure way of paying for their goods.
In fact, the technology is more accurate than iris scanning as it conforms to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards. In Japan, about 80,000 fingerprint ATMs are used in the country, while the world is slowly adapting to the idea of biometrics in all transactions like payment and airport securities in China and Australia.
