The notion of paying in blood just got a little more literal. The latest biometric cardless credit payment system in Japan is a system called "finger vein money." Developed by Hitachi, it authenticates individuals by reading the pattern of blood vessels in his or her fingers, which are just as unique as fingerprints but much harder to counterfeit. This identification method would require you to register your "finger vein pattern data" with the credit card company; when you want to buy something, you'd slip your finger into a point-of-purchase vein reader for verification. Finger-vein technology is already being used in Japan for ATMs, computer logins and door access. Hitachi will start a three-month test of the cardless-credit system in September with 200 of its employees.
Pink Tentacle [via Gearlog]
