by Sue Austreng
Life editor

Cub Foods launched biometric payment technology at its Blaine store Tuesday morning. The new technology allows shoppers to purchase groceries with the touch of a finger.

Biometric payment, provided by Pay By Touch, is free to Cub Foods shoppers. With this technology, customers pay for their groceries with a finger scan linked to their financial accounts.

Eliminating the need to carry a wallet or a checkbook in the store, the new system provides customers with greater convenience, security and speed at checkout, said Kimberly Huston, a spokesperson for the new payment process.

"Our goal is to serve our customers better than any grocer could," said Brian Huff, president of Cub Foods West Region. "Providing proven innovations and technologies that give customers greater convenience and added security is part of our commitment," he added.

"To that end, we're thrilled to be the first grocer in Minnesota to offer customers the Pay By Touch system," Huff said.

Pay By Touch at the Blaine Cub Foods store marks the beginning of a four-month pilot program of the biometric payment technology at Cub Foods.

In June, three additional Cub Foods stores, Eagan, Lakeville and Rosemount, will also offer the Pay By Touch service.

Cub Foods will make a decision regarding full deployment of the payment technology based on consumer interest and acceptance, according to Chris Murphy, spokesman for Cub Foods.

How it works

Shoppers can use Pay By Touch after a quick one-time enrollment at a special kiosk located in participating Cub Foods stores. Enrollment is simple and consists of providing identification, a voided check or EBT (electronic benefit transfer) card and a finger scan.

The Pay By Touch technology does not use actual fingerprints. It creates a set of 40 data points that cannot be reverse-engineered into a fingerprint. The data points are encrypted and converted into a mathematical equation that allows for a secure identity match at the point of sale.

The system is completely secure and customer information is never sold.

Shoppers enrolled in the Pay By Touch service can use their finger to purchase products at any participating Cub Foods store. To pay for goods, shoppers simply place their finger on a scanner at the cash register. The system then displays the individual's electronic wallet, which contains the payment options available to them.

During the pilot program, payment options will include Express Checking (direct checking account deduction) and EBT (electronic benefit transfer). Additional options, such as credit and debit cards, may be added at a later date, according to Murphy.

"Consumers across the country are embracing Pay By Touch because it makes the shopping experience convenient and secure," said John Rogers, founder, chairman and CEO of Pay By Touch.

"Having shopped at Cub Foods when I lived in Minneapolis myself, I am so glad Cub is paving the way of biometric payments in the midwest," Rogers said.

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