Ian Austen reports biometric signature authentication.
If such systems were widely adopted, Mr. Zimmerman said, it would be possible for people to abandon plastic credit cards. When making a purchase, a shopper would identify himself by typing a number (a telephone number, say) on a keypad at the cash register, then sign a digital pad. At the very least, Mr. Waisel of WonderNet said, credit card companies could eliminate the signatures and other personal details from cards, making them less attractive to thieves.