If you’re lucky enough to have your popular retailer accept PayPal while you’re checking out in the store, then you know what a slight hassle it can be to have to input your password or passcode, which can add seconds to your entire transaction, and as a result, can turn your life completely upside down. That’s why PayPal is testing out a new method of verifying its users by using a photo of them as verification.
The method is being tested in the U.K. across 12 different merchants. Customers would use their PayPal app on their smartphone in order to see what merchants are participating in the new service, which would then allow them to check into the store by simply clicking on the merchant’s name.
When the customer wants to purchase an item, their name and photo is displayed on their payment system, which is usually a tablet. The employee would then click on the photo to initiate payment, which the customer then receives the notice of the transaction as well as a receipt on their phone.
PayPal plans to expand its latest shopping experience from a dozen retailers to over 2,000 merchants by the end of 2013. We just hope you have a recent photo, especially if you decided on changing your entire look on a whim.