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First Tech, MasterCard pilot puts selfies to the test

'Selfie Pay' will test the use of facial recognition and fingerprint ID for online credit and debit card purchases transacted via smartphone.

August 21, 2015

First Tech Federal Credit Union, an $8.1 billion California FI, has announced a pilot program with MasterCard that will test the potential of biometrics for transaction authentication and verification.

CU employees in the "Selfie Pay" pilot will test facial recognition and fingerprint identification via smartphone in a closed environment using artificial funds. The technology is meant to increase ease, convenience and security for consumers using credit and debit cards for online purchases.

More than 200 First Tech employees will participate in the pilot through September and October. Participants will use smartphone apps to make virtual donations to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, authenticated by facial recognition or fingerprint biometrics.

"[T]his biometrics pilot program represents an exciting next step in payment convenience and security," First Tech CEO Greg Mitchell said in the release. "Our members are some of the most technologically focused consumers on the planet, and being an innovator in the payments security space is evidence of our strong desire to meet our members' unique needs."