Would You Pay With a Selfie?
Paying via mobile isn't a new concept — Apple Pay and Samsung Pay have both been around for a while now. However, these methods are plagued with security concerns. Passwords can be hacked, especially if people are hiding behind easily discerned codes.
Now banks are getting into the mobile payment world, using technology that has nothing to do with remembering a password.
MasterCard to Launch Selfie Pay in Months
MasterCard is planning to launch new technologies over the next few months, that will allow shoppers to verify online purchases using their fingerprints, or by taking a selfie. Fingerprints might not be that surprising, especially given how Apple has moved towards using scanners in recent iPhone models. But selfies are a different story.
Each purchase will require a scanned fingerprint or selfie to prove it's the shopper doing the buying and not a hacker or thief. Users will have to prove it's a real selfie and not just a photograph by blinking as they take their photo.
Banks, Amazon Coming Soon
MasterCard isn't the only one looking to change the way customers pay. HSBC is bringing voice and fingerprint methods to account holders accessing their money.
Amazon is joining in as well. It recently filed a patent for a kind of selfie pay system that would utilize photos and videos to authorize payment in similar fashions.
Readers, what do you think? Would you pay with a selfie? Or do you prefer more traditional methods? Sound off below!
Julie Ramhold is a consumer savings expert who has spent more than 10 years helping shoppers save on Home & Garden and Smart Home purchases, from yard prep tools to smart home gadgets like Roborock robot vacuums. She knows the retail calendar inside and out — tracking everything from Lowe's SpringFest mulch sales on Scotts Nature Scapes to Black Friday deals on DeWalt power tools, Greenworks lawn equipment, and Costco's seasonal Kirkland Signature offers — and pays close attention to how Lowe's, Costco, and Wayfair run their sales, helping readers get the most out of loyalty programs like MyLowe's Rewards and Wayfair Rewards.
Julie's savings expertise has been featured in AARP, The Washington Post, and CNBC, among others, and she's shared her insights on Good Morning America. When she's not tracking deals, she's usually crocheting or catching up on the latest K-drama.
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