Technology

Discover tests fingerprint payment system

Published: Nov. 27, 2012 at 3:43 PM

CHICAGO, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- U.S. credit card firm Discover Financial Services said it was using its employees to test a fingerprint-oriented payment system.

About 350 employees at the company will be able to pay for items at the company cafeteria and at local convenience stores by placing an index finger on a fingerprint reader.

To complete the transaction, however, the employee must also have an individually coded key fob nearby -- in a pocket, for example.

The Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday Discover and French biometrics firm National Security are working in partnership on developing the fingerprint payment system.

This is not the first fingerprint-oriented payment system. Pay-by-Touch began a similar system in 2006. But the project was forced to close in 2008 as Pay-by-Touch got into financial difficulties.

The company said at one point it had 10,000 subscribers, all from Chicago, who were testing the system.

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