Let me take a SELFIE! ;)

Can a Selfie Better Protect Your Money?

With usernames and passwords needed for just about everything, it’s easy to get confused as to which password goes to what.  And since it is highly recommended to change passwords frequently for security purposes, your brain can go into overload.  But never fear, MasterCard may have found a solution.  Forgot your password? MasterCard will soon be accepting another form of verification: Your face.


Under a pilot program beginning in the fall, the credit card giant will allow customers to snap a selfie to verify their identities with facial scan technology.

MC is experimenting with a smartphone app which allows people to confirm their identity and authenticate online transactions via a facial scan.

Users will have to download the MasterCard phone app and at checkout they will be asked to hold up their phone to stare and blink at it.

Currently, users can set up something called "SecureCode," which requires a password when shopping online.  However, as mentioned before, passwords can be forgotten, stolen, or intercepted.

The small pilot program, involving only 500 people, uses fingerprints - but also facial scans to verify online transactions.  But, the program is designed to grow since MasterCard has partnered with every smartphone maker to make this method of verification possible.

How does it work?  A pop-up will ask for authorization after consumers make a purchase. They can choose fingerprint or facial recognition. Users who choose facial recognition have to stare at the phone and blink once.

Why blink?  MasterCard's security researchers believe blinking is the best way to prevent a thief from just holding up a picture of a person and fooling the system.

MasterCard said it does not actually get a picture of the user's finger or face. All fingerprint scans will create a code that stays on the device.

The facial recognition scan will map out a user's face, convert it to 1s and 0s and transmit that over the internet to MasterCard.

And if you think this technology is something out of the Matrix or Mission Impossible, just wait.  MasterCard is also experimenting with voice recognition, so people may be able to simply approve an online transaction by speaking to their phone.

Hackers and identity thieves are smart, but MasterCard seems to be trying hard to ensure the safety and security of its customers’ money.  Up next – a pilot program designed to recognize an individual’s heartbeat.  Stay tuned.

Although this company is not in the line up, EyeVerify may be a great solution for fraud prevention for several reasons.  First off the accuracy is equal to or greater than the fingerprint sensor, it is less expensive than the fingerprint sensor and it is a software only bio-metric.

"EyeVerify Inc. is the creator of Eyeprint ID™ – transforming a picture of your eye into a key that protects your digital life. Eyeprint ID is a highly accurate biometric technology for smart devices that delivers a password-free mobile experience with convenient, secure, private authentication. This patented solution uses the existing cameras on mobile devices to image and pattern match the blood vessels in the whites of the eye."

Eyeprint ID is already being implemented in a handful of Smartphone OEM devices including ZTE, Vivo and ALCATEL ONETOUCH (TCL).   It will be interesting to see how Eyeprint ID competes with Apple Pay"s Touch ID

If you have questions about the services Chosen Payments provides or you have a topic you would like to see covered in my blog, feel free to reach out!

Zach Allen Regional Vice President at Chosen Payments
Credit Card Processing | ACH | Gift/ Loyalty Cards | Mobile & Ecommerce Payments | ATM
Toll Free: 1.855.424.6736 x. 116
zach.allen@chosenpayments.com  |  www.ChosenPayments.com 
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