Flash Your American Express Card

By Ian Bell June 7, 2005

Reuters is reporting that the credit cards by American Express will be using an “unknown’ sensor technology (although it is most likely RFID based) that will allow their customers to wave the card in front of a sensor instead of having to swipe the card through a machine. The payment will be authorized in seconds and will forgo a signature for authorization altogether.

The new American Express Blue cards with ExpressPay enabled technology will be tested in a number of 7-Eleven stores across the country alongside CVS drug stores and Ritz Camera. If the cards take off, JPMorgan Chase & Co. may introduce similar cards as well.

The new cards and its technology are sure to bring up a number of security issues revolving around the way authentication is verified. American Express would not comment on the specific technology that is being used.

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