Tammy Johnson
MasterCard wants customers to take a selfie in order to validate their online purchases.
The new platform, launching for mobile devices, allows customers to authenticate their purchases using their fingerprint or by taking a new selfie.
MasterCard is rolling out the technology to the US, Canada, the UK, and some European countries over the next few months.
The new authentication technology should become commonplace in the next five years, according Ajay Bhalla, president of enterprise security solutions at MasterCard.
MasterCard believes selfies and fingerprints are more safe than typed passwords, and therefore a better option for online purchases.
Customers who want to try selfie authentication will have to download a special MasterCard app that will allow them to take a photo each time they make an online purchase.
Users will be required to blink as they take a new photo from within the app, ensuring that they are offering a new picture and not using a previously taken photo to trick the program.
The fingerprint authentication can be used on new smartphones that feature the ability to implement the technology, including the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S.
Among other possibly authentication methods being tested by MasterCard are heartbeat rate monitoring, Iris scans, and voice recognition.
HSBC said last week that millions of account holders will soon be able to use voice and fingerprints to verify their accounts.
