man taking a selfie (Photo : Reuters)
MasterCard is planning to roll out a new payment service based on facial recognition tech this fall, allowing users to pay by smartphone camera selfies. The innovative tech via a new mobile app will help to reduce credit card fraud and block access to online shoppers' credit card numbers after they become victims of online criminals.
MasterCard customers can now type in a password when making online purchases. However, soon they will be able to make purchases by simply using a mobile camera to snap a selfie.
While clicking a self-portrait, users will have to blink once, according to Khaleej Times. This helps to prevent online thieves from trying to use a photo of users in an attempt to trick the app's AI.
Tonya Rapley is the founder of a website to help women from the millennium generation build wealth. She has praised the credit card company's step to beef up security for online shoppers.
Rapley said that last year's security breaches have continued until now, according to New York Daily News. People want to feel that their hard-earned money is safe.
The standard method of keying in card numbers will not change. However, MasterCard customers can either use the service for fingerprint scanning, or take a self photo to buy products and services.
The new tech includes a photo scanner that makes a map of the shopper's face, and then uses artificial intelligence (AI) to remember it for all future purchases. Next, the map is converted into a digital code, in order to confirm payment.
One potential security issue is that the coded image that is transmitted to MasterCard could be stolen by hackers. It differs from Apple's Touch ID finger verification, which occurs entirely on the user's iPhone.
Ajay Bhalla, President of MasterCard's DataCash told the Irish Examiner that new innovations are being developed for payment options, which could eventually replace PIN codes and passwords. A voice recognition payment service is now in the works.
