Biometrics still out of reach for U.S. ATMs
They walk up to an ATM and press their thumbs on the screen. Out spits the cash.
New York? No. Chicago? No. The mountains and jungles of Colombia.
It's one of the few places in the world where banks are using fingerprint biometrics, which verify people's identities based on their unique physical characteristics.
Scanning fingerprints or irises to verify an ATM customer's identity has yet to penetrate the U.S. banking market because of concerns about expense and privacy. Customers must be convinced that the technologies provide more benefit than the card-and-PIN system, which works well, said John Hall, spokesman for the American Bankers Association. The cards also serve functions beyond the ATMs, as debit cards and as advertising for the banks.
"Getting that wallet space is important," said Bill Spence, a biometric expert with Campbell, California.-based Recognition Systems Inc.
