French Supermarket Introduces Vein Palm-Reading Payment System In Europe First - July 31, 2024
- Jul 30, 2024
- 2 min read
July 31, 2024
“A payment system leveraging this form of authentication encrypts and tokenizes images of consumers’ palm vein patterns and their account information,” the fintech company said.
French supermarket Carrefour has introduced a new biometric payment system that analyzes the unique vein patterns in customer’s hands to make a secure transaction, reportedly the first of its kind in Europe. French paper The Connexion reported that Carrefour Market in Paris has partnered with fintech company Ingenico to introduce this new type of payment terminal. Trials will begin starting July 29th – a date that was chosen because Paris is the host city for the Olympics.
‘Before use, customers register their vein pattern on a dedicated terminal, and link it to their bank card,’ the French outlet explained. ‘The customer can make a purchase by simply holding the palm of their registered hand over a dedicated payment terminal.’
“This system ensures a high level of security for personal and banking data,” said Carrefour. “[It] will make the checkout experience smoother and improve the customer experience.”
Ingenico debuted its vein palm-reading terminals at the start of 2023. The company claims that “a common challenge persists in payments: verifying that the person using the payment method is the person authorized to use the payment method.”
The company explained in a press release that this method of payment is most secure, and customer’s interactions are then tokenized.
Merchants never quite know if the person dipping the payment card in the card reader is the account holder or if the person using the account at a kiosk is the person whose account is covering the transaction. Palm vein identification, for example, is one of the most accurate forms of biometric identification. A payment system leveraging this form of authentication encrypts and tokenizes images of consumers’ palm vein patterns and their account information. It’s a less intrusive method than other options like facial or iris scans, and it’s easier to implement and operate. The company wrote
Ingenico additionally argues that “consumers don’t have to fumble for a payment card, remember a PIN, or unlock a smartphone and open a mobile wallet.” They also say to “don’t discount the “cool factor,” which can entice consumers to try and adopt this payment method. Early adopters, in particular, will benefit from the novelty of this emerging technology.”
Questions and concerns you should have:
Where is all this data stored?
Will your bio-data be sold to third-parties like Microsoft, Google, and others that are willing to pay for it? Many companies already sell your private data like your cell phone usage, cell phone GPS data which tracks all your movement, purchase activities from online buying patters, your Amazon purchase history and much more sensitive data 23AndMe.
They ask yourself why companies like Cowboy Concealments https://cowboyconcealments.com/ ... https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/feds-using-houston-company-to-put-surveillance-cameras-in-streetlights/285-615384356 are using video data to track people and movement. They say it's all for law enforcement only but why is the data then sold and used by Big Tech companies, Fusion Centers, etc?
