Jason Collins

"Gilbarco's payment planning process is a structured way to prioritize the actions that are needed for compliance and helps retailers understand their upgrade options," said Jason Collins, IT Manager at Englefield Oil, an Ohio retailer.

"Gilbarco's payment planning process is a structured way to prioritize the actions that are needed for compliance and helps retailers understand their upgrade options," said Jason Collins, IT manager at Englefield Oil, an Ohio retailer.

"We're providing our customers with the most secure payment method available and at the same time speeding up the checkout process for them," reported information technology manager Jason Collins.

Duke & Duchess is rolling out a system that allows customers to pay with a fingerprint at 10 stores in Licking County, said Jason Collins, information technology manager at the stores' parent company, Heath-based Englefield Oil Co.

The system is intended to be quick and easy for customers -- and cheaper for the company.The system comes from BioPay LLC of Herndon, Va. BioPay takes a straight charge of 20 cents for each transaction, whereas credit card companies take around 2 percent of each transaction.Two percent of a $50 fillup is $1, and margins are razor-thin in the convenience store business to begin with, Collins said.Some banks charge customers a fee to use debit cards, he added.

To sign up for BioPay, customers have to present their fingerprint and a voided blank check.To pay, customers place their finger on a scan pad, then enter a 10-digit personal identification code.The number can be something public like a phone number, Collins said -- the fingerprint is the secure part.The fingerprint can be more secure than a credit card, because credit cards can still be used if they're lost or stolen.

BioPay then deducts payments out of the customers' checking account at no cost to the customer.

Duke & Duchess is offering freebies to encourage customers to sign up.Some customers have shied away from the high-tech system, but Collins said overall response has been positive.

The Duke & Duchess locations are the first BioPay sites in Ohio, according to the company's Web site, although the system is available at 1,500 stores across the country.

"Once they sign up, they're in the system for the entire country," Collins said.

"We are providing our customers with the most secure payment method available and at the same time speeding up the checkout process for them," says Jason Collins, Information Technology Manager at Englefield Oil, owner of Duke and Duchess Shoppes.

"We are providing our customers with the most secure payment method available and at the same time speeding up the checkout process for them," said Jason Collins, information technology manager at Englefield Oil, owner of Duke and Duchess Shoppes.
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Jason Collins

"We are providing our customers with the most secure payment method available and at the same time speeding up the checkout process for them," said Jason Collins, information technology manager at Englefield Oil, owner of Duke and Duchess Shoppes.
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Jason Collins

Jason Collins, Englefield's information technology manager, said the company adopted the technology as a convenience for customers and also because the transaction costs are less than those for credit cards.

"It's the fastest, easiest most secure way to pay," Collins said.

Customers enroll by inputting their driver's license number and expiration date into a terminal that looks similar to a credit card reader and providing a voided check to the cashier to scan and return to them, Collins said.The customer then places their left and right index fingers on a scanner to record their print.

Once enrolled, customers simply input a 10-digit identification number of their choosing -- usually their telephone number -- and scan one of their fingers to pay.The money is automatically deducted from their checking account.

"It only takes maybe two minutes to enroll in the program, and it's a lot quicker (to pay with) than a credit card," Collins said.
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Englefield provides BioPay brochures at all participating locations that explain the system, how it works and its benefits, Collins said.