Biometrics was once seen as a technology of the future, but tech advances quickly these days, and we’re starting to see it finding its way into not just professional security but also our personal lives. Fingerprint scanning is now a feature available on all of our phones, and the company CLEAR is taking strides forward to make it a part of our everyday lives.
Sporting events are a promising place to test out the benefits of fingerprint scanning in the retail industry. The huge amount of visitors to sporting venues means that drink and food vendors have to process a large number of customers in a short amount of time. CLEAR is betting on the notion that biometrics can make the process of making a purchase easier for customers and cut down on the length of lines at vendor booths.
They’re approaching this new technology smartly. Accounts are free and easy to create, and the benefit of efficiency means that it’s a sensible investment for those who are invested in stadiums. While these biometrics are most commonly used as a “fast pass” system when entering a stadium, they’ve begun to start experimenting with its usage for buying food and drinks as well. As of now, 14 different stadiums have implemented CLEAR’s technology into their ongoing infrastructure. In terms of users, the buy-in is even higher. Over 3 million customers have signed on for CLEAR’s services, and that could fundamentally change the way that stadiums run by reducing the need for ticket checkers and speeding up the process of verifying tickets or manually entering credit card information. CLEAR is also being utilized in airports.
Part of the reason that CLEAR has managed to acquire such a high install base is the ease of registration. Customers who sign up for the service are required to register their ID, email address, and phone number, as well as three separate prints for their hands. This assures a higher level of integrity when verifying a customer’s identity, but the actual verification process usually takes about five minutes to complete.
Privacy advocates emphasize that customers should be careful when registering with programs like those offered by CLEAR. While CLEAR promises to not sell customer information to other businesses, their privacy policy does note that they may share data at the request of government agencies. Regardless, the principles behind the company seem benign, and it could represent one of the most important innovations in bridging the gap between the digital and physical worlds.