MasterCard implements the selfie method to verify identity

Amelia Havanec • Feb 6, 2018

Feb 6, 2018

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                <h1>MasterCard implements the selfie method to verify identity</h1>
                <h2><p>MasterCard wants you to take a good, hard look at yourself before making another impulse buy – literally. In an effort to cut down on fraud, customers will be asked to hold up their phones and snap a picture of their faces before purchases can be approved online. A representative for</p></h2>
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               <p>By <a href="/author/amelia-havanec-crosscut-com/">Amelia Havanec</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Feb 6, 2018</time></p>
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            <p>MasterCard wants you to take a good, hard look at yourself before making another impulse buy – literally. In an effort to <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2015/07/01/technology/mastercard-facial-scan/?ref=avalancheghost.one">cut down on fraud</a>, customers will be asked to hold up their phones and snap a picture of their faces before purchases can be approved online. A representative for the company says, "The new generation... I think they'll find it cool." They also claim it's easier than remembering a password, which is currently what customers can do to prevent hackers from stealing their CC numbers.</p><p>MasterCard claims it doesn't actually receive a picture of your face, but a map of 1s and 0s from the outline. The company is also exploring other methods to keep you cyber safe, such as fingerprint scans, and voice or heartbeat recognition. All features are in the testing phase, but the facial and fingerprint scans may be launched as early as this fall.</p>
          </article>

MasterCard wants you to take a good, hard look at yourself before making another impulse buy – literally. In an effort to cut down on fraud, customers will be asked to hold up their phones and snap a picture of their faces before purchases can be approved online. A representative for the company says, "The new generation... I think they'll find it cool." They also claim it's easier than remembering a password, which is currently what customers can do to prevent hackers from stealing their CC numbers.

MasterCard claims it doesn't actually receive a picture of your face, but a map of 1s and 0s from the outline. The company is also exploring other methods to keep you cyber safe, such as fingerprint scans, and voice or heartbeat recognition. All features are in the testing phase, but the facial and fingerprint scans may be launched as early as this fall.

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By Amelia Havanec

Amelia Havanec is Crosscut's Science and Tech Fellow. She came to Washington from her home state of Connecticut by way of New York, Florida, California and Michigan in pursuit of the perfect pint. Sh