Tourists in Japan could soon use their fingertips to pay for stuff

Japan will begin testing a program that will allow tourists to pay for goods using only their fingerprints, according to The Yomiuri Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper.

The Japanese government is hoping that the new system will decrease crime and alleviate tourists' worries about cash or credit cards.

When tourists arrive in Japan, they will be able to register their fingerprints, personal data and credit card information at a kiosk in the airport. The information will be stored, and used later when tourists visit hotels and shops. They can make purchases, go through tax exemption procedures and verify their identity by scanning two of their fingers.

The program is set to kick off this summer in 300 shops, hotels and restaurants in some of Japan's most popular prefectures. If all goes well, it will begin spreading across the country in spring of 2017.

The Japanese government hopes the program — which is voluntary — will be fully in place by the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

The data collected from tourists' transactions will also be used to analyze behaviors and plan tourism strategies.

Last year, the Huis Ten Bosch theme park in Japan's Nagasaki Prefecture introduced a fingerprint payment system. 

"The system has been well received by customers, including those with children, since it saves them the trouble of taking their wallets out," a spokesperson for the theme park said.

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