Citibank Biometric Fingerprint Payments: The Future?

• November 23rd, 2006 | Biometrics, Payment

First cash wasn’t fast enough, too much change to count out.  Then credit cards were too slow, too much time spent signing or  entering your PIN.  Now we’ve got biometric fingerprint payments, just scan and go.

Introduced by Citibank in Singapore, where everything must happen at light speed, the new biometric fingerprint payment system is designed for use where people are on the move.  So I assume that’ll be train stations, fast food joints, bars and clubs, or any other place where speed is of the essence.  Currently the biometric scanner only works with the Clear Platinum card, but Citibank are hoping to make the system compatible with other popular credit cards.  Citibank are an early adopter in RFID and biometric payment systems, having previously released their own RFID credit cards.

So what comes after this?  There is a clear progression away from hard money to electronic money.  Will we be getting our wages in the future via an embedded chip in our wrist?  I for one hope not.  Biometric payment systems should not be forced onto us, at most there ought to be a choice.

[via Gizmodo]