Credit card or selfie? Mastercard rolls out biometric payments

Shoppers in a dozen European countries can make online payments using a selfie from Tuesday, under a rollout by Mastercard of new payment technology.

Removing the need to memorise a password, Mastercard said biometrics like fingerprints or facial recognition could now be used to verify a customer's identity.

The technology, unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February, has been tested in the Netherlands, US and Canada, the credit card company said.

It is now available in 12 European countries before being rolled out across the world gradually next year.

"Mastercard Identity Check Mobile eliminates the need for cardholders to recall passwords, dramatically speeding up the digital checkout experience while also improving security," Mastercard said in a statement.

"Instead, the cardholder can verify their identity by using the fingerprint scanner on their smartphone or via facial recognition technology by taking a 'selfie' photo."

The 12 markets where the technology is now available are Austria, Belgium, Britain, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sweden.

© 2016 AFP