London: Users may soon be able to shop and make payments using just a scan of your finger veins, thanks to a new breakthrough technology developed by a UK-based start-up.
The technology called FingoPay uses a biometric reader to scan the veins of a shopper’s finger, building a unique “map” for each individual.
This pattern is connected with a credit card or bank account to allow shoppers to pay simply by placing their finger in a pocket-sized scanner, doing away with cash and credit cards.
The company which developed FingoPay will test the technology at a London nightclub, the ‘Telegraph’ reported.
The technology will be used to speed up waiting times at the bar both by cutting down on cards and by being able to suggest drinks based on what a patron has previously ordered.
McDonald’s is also experimenting with a pilot of the technology, said Nick Dryden, founder of the start-up Sthaler, which developed the technology.
According to Sthaler, the chance that two people have the same vein structure is 3.4 billion-to-one, making it virtually impossible to crack.
The vein scanner, built by Hitachi, is already being used in cash machines in Japan, but Sthaler has the unique rights to license it to retailers.