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Dorothy Lane Market customers can 'Pay By Touch'
The newly-installed scanners use fingerprints to charge consumers.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
DAYTON — Dorothy Lane Markets is taking their checkout service high-tech.
In what seems more like an undercover spy maneuver in gaining access to secret federal government tunnels, the Dayton-based and family-owned grocery chain is offering customers Pay By Touch at the checkout as an alternative to cash, checks or credit cards.
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To use it, customers place a finger onto a digit-sized scanner at the checkout, then are on their way — payment complete.
Amy Brinkmoeller, Dorothy Lane Markets manager of information systems, said the target launch for the new service, called Club DLM 2.U, is July 25 at all three Dayton-area stores.
She said the San Francisco-based Pay By Touch does not cost customers to enroll and is available to everyone, but not required.
"We know that some people won't be comfortable using it, and that's fine," Brinkmoeller said.
"I think that once they become familiar with it, they'll love it. You won't have to carry a wallet or purse with you."
Tom Jackson, president and chief executive officer of the Ohio Grocers Association, said the new Pay By Touch is "actually more secure" than traditional payment methods.
"Our fingerprint, or our retina, it's indigenous and unique to us, so therefore, that adds to the security that the person who's supposed to be using this charge is in fact the person who should be," he said.
And the connection between a consumer's checking account and fingerprint is indirect and includes several encryptions throughout the routing.
Customers using Pay By Touch won't need to carry coupons because they will receive by e-mail discounts for their 10 most purchased items, which are automatically discounted at the checkout. Customers also can scan a finger or swipe a DLM Club Card at a kiosk and obtain the information.
"We're sort of at the embryonic stage, as far as retailers embracing this concept," said Jackson.
"It doesn't surprise me that Dorothy Lane is doing this. They're a very progressive company."
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-9338 or kmcallister@DaytonDailyNews.com.
