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Clark Howard's Tips

Paying for goods with your finger or thumb

June 1, 2005

How do you pay for things these days?

Most people use either a debit card, a credit card, cash and some people still use checks.

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But a new way of paying is on the horizon.

Paying with your fingerprint or thumbprint is growing like gangbusters. It was developed by a company known as "BioPay," and it allows stores to verify that someone is really who they say they are.

It's popping up in supermarkets and convenience stores.

People in Germany are even accessing their bank accounts with a fingerprint.

The Washington Post reports that supermarkets in South Carolina are experimenting with this program. It's already going on in 80 supermarkets in Georgia and South Carolina.

Clark is fine with the idea of using these systems as long as it's voluntary.

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