Mastercard rolls out selfie pay in Europe

Mastercard is rolling out a new technology in Europe which makes it possible for consumers to pay with a selfie. The service, officially called Identity Check Mobile, let users verify their identity by taking a photo of themselves so a payment can be completed.

Mastercard is rolling out pay by selfie across Europe this week in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the UK, after it conducted trials in the US and Canada. Sometime next year, the technology will be available worldwide.

As Mastercard explains in its press release, its new payment technology app Identity Check Mobile can also use fingerprints to verify a cardholder’s identity. Whatever the case may be, the goal is to prevent shoppers abandoning their purchase because they forgot their password. The technology doesn’t require any passwords to be entered, which should speed up the digital checkout experience while also improving security.

Online payment experience with less friction

“We are relentlessly focused on making the online payment experience near frictionless, without making any compromises on safety and security”, Ajah Bhalla of Mastercard said. “Shopping in person has been revolutionized thanks to advances like contactless cards, mobile payments and wearables, and now we are making Identity Check Mobile a reality for online shopping in Europe, and soon, the world.”