Making purchases, whether on campus or Marshall Street, always requires the use of a SUpercard, credit card or cash. But Nexus USA, a security firm, is trying to change that by creating technology to read fingerprints to make purchases.

Ground zero for this potentially revolutionary technology is at the School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, S.D. The small university comprising predominantly mechanical engineers is testing fingerprint scanners in campus stores as an alternative method of payment, according to a Feb. 22 Associated Press article.

While fingerprint-scanning technology is not new, the technology pioneered by Nexus introduces a new layer of security by checking the imprinted finger for a pulse to ensure a living person is making the purchase, rather than by an imprint or faux print. The additional layer of security included in the scanner helps lower security concerns, according to the article.

Jamie Lieberman, a sophomore public relations major, said she thinks the technology is safer than using credit cards because every fingerprint is different. But she said she fears there is also a chance a fingerprint could be smudged and result in an inaccurate read.

For the technology to take off, it must be implemented as a voluntary solution for payments. Some worry that if this technology becomes mainstream, people will perceive it as Big Brother watching them, according to the article.

Kevin Aziz, a sophomore computer science major, said he doesn’t think the new technology is very secure, but doesn’t worry about more government oversight.

“I don’t think that there is any Big Brother fear, especially when used for payments, because a traditional credit card gives out similar information,” Aziz said.

The last prominent fingerprint payment launch was Pay by Touch. But after the company tried to launch a full-scale rollout of biometric purchasing, it failed and filed for bankruptcy, according to a November 2007 article by VentureBeat.

Despite raising $190 million in financing, the company was forced to close its doors and lay off its employees. The largest problem Pay by Touch faced was that the company tried to grow too quickly, according to VentureBeat.

Student entrepreneurs at Carnegie Mellon University are also experimenting with fingerprint purchasing through their venture, PayTango. According to an April 4 Technology Tell article, the technology is designed to be implemented exclusively in communities like college campuses.

Nexus officials admitted that one of the reasons fingerprint scanning has been successful at the School of Mines and Technology is because they are testing it with a technology-savvy audience that is not opposed to new technologies and innovations, according to the AP.

Published on April 8, 2013 at 11:14 pm

Contact Jared: jmrose03@syr.edu