Biometrics vendor Pay By Touch and financial terminals vendor NCRhave announced a hardware and software alliance to offer merchants a single point of contact for supporting merchant and consumer biometric needs.

Using NCR’s biometric-enabled point-of-sale (POS) solutions, retailers can use the Pay By Touch authentication and payment service, giving shoppers the ability to pay for goods with the touch of a finger.

Under the agreement, retailers using NCR’s Advanced Checkout Solution (ACS) POS software and the WinEPS solution from MTXEPS, Inc can implement the Pay By Touch services.  The companies’ first joint implementation is being rolled out in select grocery stores throughout the Midwest of the US.

“Consumer demands for convenience are growing at an unprecedented pace, and retailers of all sizes need a fast, simple and secure solution that provides the ultimate customer service,” said Stephen Reade, senior vice president-product of Pay By Touch.  “Our alliance with NCR addresses these needs with a fully integrated solution that improves the checkout experience – and merchants’ top and bottom lines – while also positioning our services for expansion into other vertical markets.”

“Thanks to this alliance, the thousands of stores using NCR solutions – from independents to national chains – can readily implement the Pay By Touch service to enhance the customer shopping experience while fighting the high cost of fraud and safeguarding against identity theft,” said NCR assisted service solutions vice president Greg Egan.  “We’re excited to be part of a service that will ultimately change the way we pay for things everywhere.”

To date, the Pay By Touch consumer biometric payment solution has been deployed in major retailers throughout North America and the UK. Pay By Touch plans to launch in additional national and international retail chains in the near future.