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Mastercard will let users pay with their face

By Tomas Monzon

PURCHASE, N.Y., July 2 (UPI) -- A Mastercard representative said Wednesday that the company will begin taking users' selfies as validation for mobile credit card purchases starting this fall.

Claiming it is easier than remembering a password, Mastercard's system aims to reduce credit card fraud.

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Users will have to download the MasterCard phone app to use the new feature. A pop-up will give users a choice of using their fingerprint or their face to confirm payment after a purchase. The fingerprint option requires a single touch, while the facial nonrecognition option will require the user to stare at the phone and blink once.

The blinking will prevent thieves from holding up a picture of a victimized user to gain access.

Data is then sent to Mastercard and stored on their servers. The company says it will not be able to reconstruct a user's face from the resulting numerical data.

The company is due to launch a pilot version of the program limited to 500 customers. Once it is final, the new capabilities will supplant the company's current SecureCode system that requires users to enter a password when shopping online with their card. SecureCode was used in 3 billion transactions in 2014.

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The company also confirmed that it is almost done closing deals with two major unidentified banks. Apple, BlackBerry, Google, Microsoft and Samsung have also agree to make their devices a part of the trial run.

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