Amazon is working on a new payment system for Whole Foods that scans your hands as an ID

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Who would have thought that the path to overreaching dystopia was convenience? That’s certainly the case for Amazon, who is constantly looking for ways to shorten the time between impulse and purchase. The latest trick? Using your hand as identification at checkouts in its physical stores like Whole Foods.

That’s according to the New York Post, who says the A-to-Z of everything store is covertly testing new scanners that can facilitate purchases by scanning your hands.

Amazon is working on turning your hands into your payment card

Okay, hol’ up. Hand-scanners. Like the ones the police and Customs use to take your fingerprints with? And we’re okay with Amazon having this system, as long as it means the line at the checkouts is shorter? We’re doomed.

• Amazon is intending to roll the scanners out to all of its Whole Foods supermarket locations starting next year
• The system is intended for Prime subscribers only. Ahh, the new social order, those with Prime and those without. Gotcha
• Amazon employees in the New York offices are currently trialing the system to buy things from vending machines
• You won’t have to touch the scanner for it to work

Hey, dystopia might be here. Privacy might be gone. At least we can leave our credit cards at home, right? I can’t wait to hand-wave at a checkout scanner and say “these aren’t the credit cards you are looking for.”

What do you think? Are you ok with what Amazon is doing or does it make you uneasy? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.