Nearly two thirds of Brits want to be able to use a biometric scan to authorise payments in-store, according to a WorldPay survey. Fingerprints remain the most popular biometric method, with 69% of the 2500 people quizzed by WorldPay saying that they would be open to settling up with a digit. This week a Costcutter store, at Brunel University in London, made the headlines when it emerged that the outlet was letting customers pay using their unique finger vein pattern to identify themselves.
The firm behind the technology, Sthaler, is expecting several thousand students to sign up to its system at the store and says that it is in discussions with other major UK supermarkets. But, following the launch of the new iPhone, respondents to the WorldPay survey are also beginning to come around to the idea of using their face (24%), iris (33%), and voice (18%) to identify themselves at the point of sale.
James Frost, UK CMO, Worldpay, says: “As biometric identification increasingly becomes a standard across smartphone devices, the combination of these two technologies is starting to win the battle for hearts and minds when it comes to simplicity, convenience, and seamlessness across all channels.” The survey also shows that older consumers like to pay a person, but younger people would rather payments were automated to speed things up. When it comes to dining out, 65% say they’d rather pay a robot than waste time flagging down a waiter. Consumers are receptive to targeted offers on their mobile phone whilst they’re browsing in store but respondents say one message is enough.
