No need for a PIN number – when you can pay with your face.
Finnish consumers are now believed to be the first in the world where at the point of sale, a customer’s facial features will allow them to purchase goods.
And experts believe it’s only a matter of time before the same technology is rolled out in Australia.
The company, Uniqul, then links the recognition to the customer’s bank account.
So instead of swiping a credit card to purchase goods, the customer gazes into a camera.
Uniqul claims its service is secured with military-grade algorithms.
The technology is similar to facial recognition identification used by international travellers at Australian airports.
Finnish company Uniqul’s Ruslan Pisarenko said the technology – which is due to roll out next month – has the ability for transactions to be completed instantly and can even distinguish between identical twins.
“The face is a PIN and it’s more like a complete way to identify a person and to provide access to the person’s own Cloud wallet,” he said.
“But in some cases where the system is not 100 per cent accurate, it will ask a person to input their PIN as security.”
There is no payment card involved, nor is a mobile or wallet needed.
Customers sign up to the technology by registering their identification and bank details and this is stored in the Cloud where it can be used in retail outlets.
Once the items are scanned through the customers’ details will flash up on a screen and they click “OK” to confirm the transaction.
If the technology is unable to detect the person through features including the eyes, nose and cheeks, they will be required to enter a PIN.
Australian Retailers Association executive director Russell Zimmerman said if the technology is proven to be cost-effective and secure it could be adopted by local retailers.
“All this technology is great but it comes at a cost, you will probably see it in the future as long as it’s cost-effective,” he said.
“If it increases their security level so the retailers are not going to pay the costs (if it doesn’t) then yes we will see it.”
But MasterCard Worldwide vice president Matt Barr said the security around this type of technology needed to be questioned and also it’s speediness.
“I would question its appeal and fit given how successful contactless is and also the speed and convenience of contactless versus cash and other forms of paying,” he said.
This story originally appeared on news.com.au