Facial recognition software has made some impressive advances in recent years. However, the Finnish company Uniqul has developed a new payment system that utilizes facial recognition which is designed as a substitute for purchases by credit card. This facial recognition software is linked to a customer’s bank account and used like a debit transaction.
The purpose of utilizing this new facial recognition software is to speed up the time it takes to pay for groceries. The goal is to cut down the average 30 second time to 5 seconds. However, another goal is to add more security to the payment process.
How the Uniqul Facial Recognition System Works
Each store that participates in the Uniqul system will be given a tablet for each of their checkout counters. When used, the tablet takes a photograph of the customer’s face and then processes all the biometrical data to locate that face within their database.
A customer must register with the database before using the facial recognition software system, which can be done through their major credit card company. Once the photo is taken, the customer presses the “OK” button and the groceries are all paid.
There is no signature, no exposing their credit card number and no writing checks. All this transaction is accomplished in roughly 5 seconds which means that the customer is in and out of the store very quickly. Currently, the Uniqul facial recognition system is limited to taking Euros depending on the range that the database needs to cover;
– Worldwide Access: 7 Euros
– Regional Access: 3 Euros
– Localized Access: 1 Euro
The localized access can be as little as 2 kilometers in total size, meaning that the area that is covered can be customized for each business. While this system is being initially placed in grocery stores, it can easily be expanded to cover any type of store that uses credit or debit cards.
Advantages of the Uniqul Facial Recognition System
Speed: Because the facial recognition is almost immediate, the transaction period takes far less time than even using a credit or debit card. The speed of the system can help clear out crowded lines more quickly and get customers on their way sooner.
Samsung’s new S8 smartphone takes full advantage of eye recognition with the Iris Scanner. This amazing technology allows you to unlock the phone just by looking at it. This is the first big leap with such technology recently.
Security: Since no two faces are 100% alike, this payment system nearly impossible to fool. Plus, it can dramatically reduce instances of identity theft and stolen credit cards. Since you do not need to take out any form of ID, credit or debit card, there is no one who can jot down the identification number, which is one of the leading ways that thieves get a hold of credit and debit card accounts.
Convenience: For customers, they don’t have to take out credit or debit cards, checks, cash or identification. All they have to do is have their photo taken for the facial recognition and the payment is made. Thanks to the unique military-grade algorithms that are used for security, the speed of the transaction is very quick as well.
Currently, the Uniqul system is going to be launched in Helsinki, Sweden. Retailers can sign up for this new system by Uniqul on their website. Just remember, the next time you are looking to compare cards with a bank, it probably wont belong before your phone is the main tool for purchasing items – isn’t tech great?