Finger scan-based biometric services, now in service by NCR and its Pay By Touch partner in some grocery stores in the Midwest, will be offered globally, according to an announcement from the two firms Friday.

The services use Pay By Touch's authentication and payment service and NCR's biometric point of sale (POS) solutions to enable shoppers to pay for services and retail goods with a simple finger scan.

The partnership also calls for self-service kiosk solutions to be established. "The kiosks increase convenience for shoppers to enroll, activate, and maintain their Pay By Touch electronic wallets," the firms' announcement stated. "Pay By Touch will offer kiosks to its customers under a reseller agreement with NCR. The kiosks are currently being installed by a top-ten U.S. supermarket chain."

Shoppers can activate an account at the kiosks or online after they provide personal financial records. The firms said the system is secure because of the uniqueness of the finger scans. In addition, data is encrypted and securely stored in data centers.

Pay By Touch said the system is scheduled to be launched in more national and international chains before the year is over.

The service uses the WinEPS solution from MTXEPS as well as NCR's Advanced Checkout Solution POS software.