Seattle Thriftway Supermarket Deploys Indivos `Pay By Touch' Service

Business Wire, May 1, 2002

Business Editors

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 1, 2002

Voluntary Service Automates Payment Authentication and

Gives Consumers, Retailers Greater Convenience,

Security and Speed in the Checkout Lane

The West Seattle Thriftway Supermarket today announced it is offering Indivos Corporation's patented Pay By Touch(sm) service for its customers beginning today. The voluntary Pay By Touch service allows consumers to make purchases in the store from their existing financial accounts with a simple touch of a finger at the checkout lane.

"This is an exciting way to give our customers greater convenience and security when they pay," said Paul Kapioski, president and owner of the West Seattle Thriftway. "Pay By Touch speeds up the checkout lanes and gives customers another way to safely pay from their preferred accounts by simply touching a reader at the time of checkout."

Oakland, Calif.-based Indivos is the provider of Pay By Touch , a fast and easy payment service that allows consumers a complementary way to access their bank and debit accounts electronically without having to use plastic cards, paper checks, key fobs and passwords that can easily be lost, stolen or damaged. At the same time, the Pay By Touch service mitigates fraud, helps merchants lower costs associated with accepting payment, and enhances customer satisfaction.

Kapioski said he believes deployment of the Indivos system will speed consumers through the checkout lanes because shoppers don't have to take the extra time to search for and handle cards, paper checks or cash. Additionally, he said, the Indivos service is relatively simple to deploy because it links to existing point-of-sale machines and payment networks. Indivos works with leading payment service providers and manufacturers to deliver the new service.

The West Seattle Thriftway uses VeriFone payment terminals equipped with a simple finger-image reader through which consumers access the Pay By Touch service. "Speed and convenience are key elements in enhancing the payment process. We believe the use of biometric authentication holds the promise of multiple benefits to store operations and for consumers at the checkout lane, including added security, privacy and ease of use," said Stuart Taylor, vice president of VeriFone, Inc., which has a 75% market share for supermarket payment terminals. "The electronic payment industry is in the early stages of making available biometrics as a complementary security and access option alongside plastic cards and paper checks."

How The Service Works

Customers using the free Indivos Pay By Touch service enroll one or more of their credit, debit and checking accounts. Once enrolled, consumers access their accounts by touching a small reader linked to a credit card device or cash register and selecting their preferred way to pay: electronic check, credit or debit. The Indivos service verifies the enrolled shopper and provides account data to the checkout lane for approval. The transaction is then routed through the conventional financial networks

"Consumer feedback has shown 94% overall satisfaction rate with the Pay By Touch service," said Phil Gioia, CEO of Indivos. "The option to voluntarily `Pay By Touch' builds on the uniqueness of each individual and gives consumers more flexibility and choice about how they want to access their existing accounts."

About West Seattle Thriftway and Associated Grocers

The West Seattle Thriftway is an independent grocer affiliated with Associated Grocers. For over 15 years, West Seattle Thriftway has established a reputation for providing customers with only the highest quality products and services. Associated Grocers provides food, general merchandise, and retail services to approximately 320 independent grocery stores throughout Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the Pacific Rim.

About Indivos Corporation

Indivos' fully voluntary patented service enables a cashless, checkless, cardless payment service in which consumers who have voluntarily enrolled finger-image templates are able to complete transactions securely, conveniently, and efficiently. It also enables merchants to substantially reduce transaction-processing costs, and significantly mitigate the risk of fraud. Indivos' Internet address is www.indivos.com. Indivos has 16 issued patents enabling the service.