Amazon Wants to Turn Your Hand Into a Payment Option: Report

January 19, 2020

Tech giant Amazon wants you to pay with a wave of the hand rather than a plastic swipe, according to the Wall Street Journal.

A WSJ article, citing undisclosed sources, reports that Amazon is building new high-tech checkout terminals that can be installed in brick-and-mortar stores. The terminals would enable consumers to link their credit or debit card information to their hands. They could then check out by scanning their palm as opposed to swiping a card.

Earlier this month, Patently Apple reported that the e-commerce company filed for a patent for a “non-contact biometric ID system” that uses a device to scan a person’s hand.

Should the Amazon terminal succeed, it could disrupt the digital economy and overtake mobile wallet providers such as Apple Pay.

However, card issuers have raised concerns regarding cardholder security and the potential for fraud as criminals might try to link stolen cards to their hands. Sources say that Amazon could simply blacklist fraudulent users.

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