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Pretty Soon You’ll Be Able To Shop Using A Selfie, Because America

Shopping selfie

When a guy asks me to send him a selfie, I’ve got two options: 1. I can send him the worst form of smart phone picture known to man, the mirror selfie, or 2. I can admit my horrible shortcoming: I am selfie challenged. I don’t know if it’s that I have short arms like a T-Rex or what, but I am simply unable to take a selfie that should ever leave the safe space that is my iPhone. But if the folks at MasterCard have their way, I’m going to have to figure out my selfie problem quick, or I’m not going to be able indulge in my favorite hobby, online shopping.

After partnering with smartphone makers such as Apple, Google, Microsoft and Samsung to develop the technology, the credit card will launch a pilot program this fall that will allow shoppers to pay for online purchases by snapping a pic of their face. According to Business Insider, “When the consumer has finished shopping, they will be prompted to take a ‘selfie’. Facial recognition software will then coordinate the approval process.”

The original pilot will only have 500 users, but Ajay Bhalla, MasterCard’s president of enterprise safety and security, thinks that the new technology will spread quickly: “The new generation, which is into selfies (…) I think they’ll find it cool. They’ll embrace it.” That may be true, but if it doesn’t work correctly and someone grabs that last pair of red high heels out of my shopping cart before I’m able to check out, I’m gonna be pissed.

[via Business Insider]

Image via Shutterstock

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Jenna Crowley

Jenna used to be known as 2NOTBrokeGirls, but then one of the girls actually went broke, so she's struck out on her own. Jenna spends her free time saving the world, one sorority girl at a time (usually while wearing yoga pants), questioning why she decided to get a doctorate, and documenting her love of all things cheese related. You can ask her anything you want about football, using your boobs to get what you want, and pizza at @JennaLCrowley on Twitter or via email at [email protected].

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