Technology that "reads" the patterns of human veins will be used on more than 1,000 Swedish shoppers to make payments with a simple swipe of their hand, UK MailOnline reported.
If the trials prove to be a success in the city of Lund in southern Sweden, the alternative payment method of hand scanning could prove to be extremely convenient, the developers said.
The hand-swiping technology was created by a local university engineering student while he was waiting in line to make a payment two years ago.
Almost 15 shops and restaurants have been installed with the vein-scanning terminals, according to UK MailOnline.
Claimed to be safer than credit cards, the inventor said some 1,600 people have signed up already to make use of the system.
"Every individual's vein pattern is completely unique, so there really is no way of committing fraud with this system," said researcher Fredrik Leifland. "You always need your hand scanned for a payment to go through."
Shoppers who have signed up for the trial will be able to use the payment system while visiting specific shops and restaurants with a terminal. Once there, they will be required to scan their palm three times and enter their social security and telephone numbers.
"A text message is then sent to their mobile phone with an activation link to a website, with payments taken directly from customer's bank accounts twice a month," UK MailOnline reported.
Even though the technology of vein scanning has existed in the past, it's only now that it will be used as a form of payment by commercial stores.
"We had to connect all the players ourselves, which was quite complex - the vein scanning terminals, the banks, the stores and the customers," Leifland added.
Once the technology gains momentum and proceeds to have a successful trial, the developers' plan is to patent the system and expand it around the globe, UK MailOnline reported.
