Biometric verification systems are transforming most of the industries around us. Thanks to biometric authentication today we have advanced security systems that are extremely hard to bypass. Similarly, payments have been made much easier and the likelihood of fraud has also been reduced greatly. From teachers and students to prisoners, the biometric authentication process allows strict management of individuals.
Just like these few examples, the technology is also revolutionizing the retail industry. In the past, the retail industry was associated, by customers, with long lines at POS and, by managers and owners, with employee theft. Today, biometric recognition has put an end to those perceptions.
Here are the five ways that biometric technology is revolutionizing the retail industry.
Better systems for employee attendance management
It is common for retail stores to have a large number of employees. Employees for shipping management, inventory management, salespeople, and cashiers make up just some of the groups of employees that a retail store may have to employ.
Management of such a large number of individuals can be difficult with traditional systems. Biometric authentication allows large retail stores to effectively manage their employees’ attendance, login, and logout times.
Utilizing the biometric authentication process, employees can simply touch their fingerprints or palms or scan their faces to mark their attendance or check-in. The choice of biometric ID depends upon the store’s trustable method as well as whichever one the employees might find the most convenient.
Additionally, biometric verification services can also help get entirely rid of any employee time theft likelihood.
Reducing internal theft
Biometric recognition allows stores to build up their security in a range of ways. One of these is the reduction of internal theft. Whether a biometric user authentication system is in place for customers or for employees, each product is marked against a specific biometric ID or biometric ID card. In such situations, employees at POS cannot slide in anything as per their personal will to keep it for themselves.
Stopping shoplifting
Since biometric authentication of customers involves screening each individual for their specific ID, it helps reduce shoplifting. This happens in two ways.
- If a biometric system and structure such as Amazon’s Just Walk Out is set up, individuals simply have to pick up their products and leave. In such cases, since each product is marked electronically, and each individual also has a palm or face ID, it becomes impossible to shoplift. Thus, anyone who tries to walk out with the product secretly will have the product receipt against their biometric ID. This is one of the most beneficial aspects of the biometric authentication process.
- A biometric security system set up all over a retail store will indefinitely lead to shoplifters’ face’s scanning. This can help identify anonymous shoplifters. Moreover, we can also confirm suspected shoplifters.
Such technology systems are already in use by retail giants such as Walmart.
Faster and more secure payments
Biometric payments are secure safe and much faster in comparison to traditional systems. These biometric verification services allow retail stores to introduce biometric identity based payment transactions.
Contactless payments working on biometric recognition are increasing in most industries. Almost all phones today come with NFC or near-field communication technology to allow contactless communication between phones and other devices. This technology is what biometric authentication systems make use of.
Even MasterCard today has introduced biometric-based payments. This is part of MasterCard’s new pilot program and includes face and palm scanning. Samsung Pay and Apple Pay users are also actively using digital contactless payments at the sites that they can.
Biometric authentication systems for age verification
When it comes to age-restricted products, traditional checkout systems require cashiers or employees at POS to demand IDs from customers. While a common practice all over the globe, this is not very productive due to two major reasons.
- Sometimes customers can refuse to share their IDs, creating a fuss at stores. This is not productive and may require the involvement of security. Additionally, it is also bothersome for other customers at the store.
- Sometimes, POS employees involve themselves and may allow older or younger customers to access age-restricted products.
Utilizing the biometric authentication process can help reduce the likelihood of both these reasons. When computerized, customers as well as employees have no other option but to stay in compliance with the rules.
Conclusion
Biometric verification services have revolutionized most aspects of the retail industry. However, it is important to understand that the technology still has great room to grow. This means that there are much more advanced applications that we cannot even anticipate right now.
Stores that set up systems for biometric recognition today allow themselves to be ready to deal with the challenges as well as the trends of tomorrow. This can help place them as pioneers of the technology in the future.
