Tech Company Proposes NFC Body Implant For e-Payments

Walletmor has a complex solution to the simple NFC payment problem: implant a microchip the size of a rice grain into your hand.

Obviously, you could perform this action with a smartphone or an e-wallet card, so what would motivate someone to use such an implant?

Some people think there’s a convenience factor. If payment terminals have the NFC receiver at the right location, paying could be as simple as holding the device in your hand.

The same NFC implant could also unlock your phone, computer, and other devices. The industry calls that “security by proximity,” and it could be one of several layers of security.

All kinds of information, such as identity or medical data, could be contained in such an implant, and payment is just one of many possible uses.

That said, it remains to be seen how many people will opt for this technology. The company says it only takes 15mn to have the implant installed (under local anesthesia), and the total healing time is about four weeks.

At the moment, I don’t find the value proposition to be compelling enough, but perhaps health or safety use cases might prove more convincing to entice potential users. Would you do it?

Ubergizmo Team
Categories: General
Tags: implants, mobile payments, NFC, Social Hit