Poland has become the first country in Europe to introduce a network of "finger vein ID" cash machines, with 2,000 of the new ATMs opening in bank branches and supermarkets across the country this year.
A person's finger effectively becomes the "chip" on a conventional bank card, as the infrared device reads the unique vein pattern just below the skin surface of a finger or the back of a hand. Some Japanese banks also use the technology as a security measure which allows – or prevents – customers from accessing safety deposit boxes in branches. Its proponents claim it is more accurate than fingerprinting devices, and as reliable as iris-reading technology.