T-Money trials face biometrics for contactless payments to public transportation

A pilot process to put in place and evaluate a system providing touchless biometric payment for public transportation in Korea using facial recognition technology has gone underway in Korea’s capital Seoul, The Korea Herald reports.

T-Money operator Korea Smart Card will use the pilot to evaluate the speed of payment using the facial recognition system, and then look at ways of better commercializing it.

The facial recognition payment system, the report explains, can be used by downloading the T-Money mobile application, capturing the user’s biometric selfie using the phone’s camera, and then linking it to the payment appropriate method.

The system seeks to put in place an easy payment platform that will eliminate the scenario of commuters making such payments using smart cards or phones. It is also intended to avoid physical contacts, especially at busy urban transportation centers, given the health exigencies of the COVID-19 pandemic, the report states.

The move is part of efforts by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, since July last year, to ensure a public transportation system that will be safe for all within the context of the pandemic and other communicable diseases.

So far, the system has been installed at 22 biometric gates in 13 stations of Ui-Sinsol and involves employees and officials of particular stations, for a start, according to The Korea Herald.

T-Money’s public relations division manager, Sun-Kyun, told The Korea Herald the new biometric solution will help save up time and spare users the risk of being exposed to infections in public transport centers.

Article Topics

authentication  |  biometrics  |  contactless  |  facial recognition  |  Korea Smart Card  |  mobile app  |  payments  |  pilot project  |  South Korea  |  transportation