BOISE -- Following the successful pilot program in its Oregon market, Albertson’s Inc. announced that it is implementing the Pay By Touch Solutions biometric payment systems at 204 of its Jewel-Osco grocery stores throughout the Midwest.
According to a press release, Albertsons began rolling out the biometrics solution in the Chicago area earlier this year. A free service to Jewel-Osco customers, those who used the system in the company’s Oregon pilot program commented that the technology is a “faster, easier and more secure way” to pay for their groceries.
“At Albertsons, we are committed to helping make our customers’ lives easier,” said Albertsons Senior Vice President of Customer Service Pam Powell in the release. “With this technology, customers can pay for their groceries with the touch of a finger, without having to present cards, checks, or cash.” Powell also says the technology allows customers to “reduce their risk of theft and move through the checkout lines more easily and significantly faster.”
John Rogers, founder, chairman, and CEO of Pay By Touch Solutions, commented that biometrics is changing the way customers pay for merchandise, adding that paying by touch “gives shoppers the ultimate freedom from cards, checks, or cash that can be lost or stolen.”
The release notes that the Pay By Touch system uses a simple finger scan to authorize an electronic transaction from a customer's existing checking account, while automatically honoring the Jewel-Osco Preferred Card. Customers have the option of linking both their checking accounts and their Jewel-Osco Preferred Card to the Pay By Touch System.