It's that time of year again, for stuffing our faces with turkey and gravy, preparing for the holidays, and the crazy shopping season ahead, but most of all it’s a time to give thanks.

 

Pay By Touch, a provider of biometric payment solutions is keeping this holiday cheer in mind and teaming up with TV and Broadway star, Paige Davis (you may remember her form TLC's "Trading Space's") to surprise shoppers at Chicago area Jewel Osco grocery stores by paying for there groceries.

 

The program, "Touch of Holiday Cheer" not only helps take some financial burden off families preparing for this and the upcoming holiday season, but also seeks to show shoppers how they can get their shopping done more efficiently.

 

One of the most frustrating things that occur at holiday time is the over-crowded stores and long wait times in line just to make it out of the store. However, thanks to Pay By Touch's biometric payment solution, shoppers now have a fast and secure way of moving through those shopping lines.

 

Biometric fingerprints are clean, fast and secure. They eliminate the need to carry around cards and money as well as the risk of loosing or having them and passwords stolen. Even just the time spent fiddling through a purse or pocket to find cash, cards and IDs can be significantly reduced with the swipe of a finger.

 

Fingerprint scans used to authorize electronic payments are becoming increasingly popular as a payment type because fingerprints are unique to each person-- significantly reducing the risk of fraudulent transactions.

 

Once a shoppers fingerprint biometrics are enrolled into the system, it is linked to the users check book allowing them to pay for their items with just the touch of a finger and move through the line at a much more rapid pace—this can make a giant difference especially during the crowded holiday shopping season.

 

And for any customer who used or enrolled in their biometric payment system between November 1 and December 31, 2006 Pay By Touch will also enroll them into a drawing to win a year of free groceries.

 

"We are extremely pleased to be working with Pay By Touch to bring this exciting program to our shoppers as they gear up for the holiday season's biggest meal," commented Lauri Sanders, Director of Public Affairs, Jewel Osco in a statement.

 

In continuing to spread the holiday cheer, Pay By Touch will also donate $10,000 dollars to The Greater Chicago Food Depository, a non-for-profit food distribution and training center aimed at ending hunger in the community.