SAN FRANCISCO, CA, July 22, 2004 -- Wallets are out, and fingers are in. Now, there's a better way to pay for your groceries. That's the message San Francisco-based Pay By Touch is announcing today as it launches its finger-scanning payment system in four Piggly Wiggly Carolina Co. grocery stores throughout South Carolina.

"Consumer habits are constantly evolving," said Craig Ramsey, chief executive officer of Pay By Touch. "Today's consumers are more focused on security and ease-of-use. With Pay By Touch finger scanning payment systems, consumers can enjoy a higher level of convenience, speed and increased protection against identity theft."

Starting today, Piggly Wiggly customers in Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina will have the option of paying for groceries using a finger scan linked to their financial accounts. The Pay By Touch payment systems are being used in all Piggly Wiggly checkout lanes to provide a safer, more convenient way for shoppers to pay for their groceries, while also allowing checkout lines to move approximately 33 percent faster.

"We're excited about the opportunity to launch this new payment system for Piggly Wiggly customers," said David Schools, senior vice president of Piggly Wiggly Carolina Co. "We're always looking for new, innovative ways to provide a higher level of service for our customers. Pay By Touch helps us get there with faster checkouts, more payment options, and highly secure transactions."

The one-time Pay By Touch enrollment takes just a couple of minutes. Shoppers scan their fingers, enter a search code, swipe rewards cards and/or payment cards, and add their checking account information to build a personal Pay By Touch Wallet, which is stored at secure IBM data centers.

The Pay By Touch finger scanning technology does not store actual fingerprints; instead, it creates a set of 40 data points that cannot be reverse engineered back to a fingerprint. The data points are then converted into a mathematical equation that allows for a secure identity match at retail point of sale. Once enrolled -- no matter what store or state they are in -- customers can simply scan their finger and select a preferred payment method every time they pay.

In addition to implementing Pay By Touch in Piggly Wiggly stores throughout the country, Pay By Touch plans to roll out this innovative consumer payment system in other national retail chains later this year.

About Pay By Touch

Headquartered in San Francisco, Pay By Touch is a free consumer payment service that allows shoppers to pay for purchases using a finger scan to access their financial accounts and loyalty programs. With Pay By Touch, the checkout process is faster, more convenient, and more secure than other payment methods. It eliminates the need to present checks and IDs, credit, debit, membership, or loyalty cards at the point of sale. For additional information, visit http://www.paybytouch.com.

About Piggly Wiggly Carolina Co.

Piggly Wiggly Carolina Company is headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina. It was founded in 1947 and today is the largest employee-owned, privately operated retail company in South Carolina. Piggly Wiggly includes 116 stores and more than 5,000 employees throughout South Carolina and southeast Georgia. For additional information, visit http://www.thepig.net.

SOURCE Pay By Touch

Web Site: http://www.paybytouch.com