Driver's License to be the Next Debit Card

prostoalex writes "Your US driver's license has a magnetic stripe with unique ID in it, and your debit card carries a magnetic stripe with account information on it, so why not link the two together and allow people to use their driver's licenses as debit cards? That's precisely what a young company National Payment Card is doing in select locations, according to Business Week: 'Gas-station owners are pleased with the program too. Because NPC processes the payment as an e-check with the Automated Clearing House (ACH), a network most commonly used for direct deposits, participating retailers bypass credit card companies such as Visa and Mastercard.'"

So when your license is suspended...

[Admodieus]

...your account is frozen. Brilliant!

Re:So when your license is suspended...

[spyder-implee]

Atleast this way you can still bribe the cop when your outa cash.

Re:bad idea

[xs650]

Look at the bright side, it would be one less card to report stolen :)

Re:So when your license is suspended...

[Anonymous Coward]

...you probably shouldn't be buying gas.

Re:So when your license is suspended...

[Alligator427]

Yes! And when I get pulled over by a cop for speeding and hand him my license, I'll get a ticket for speeding, and then be arrested for attempted bribery! Brilliant!

Re:"Your US driver's license"

[AvitarX]

Don't be foolish.

They are going to implant it into our right hand.

Hello Officer

[sunderland56]

So when an officer stops you for speeding, does handing them your license constitute offering a bribe??

Re:So when your license is suspended...

[pwizard2]

It would be more convenient if they would just use a barcode on your neck

Then how could we tell the Manticore transgenics apart from everyone else?

Re:"Your US driver's license"

[Babbster]

Lastday, Capricorn 29's. Year of the City: 2007. Carousel begins.

Re: so why not link the two together

[Anonymous Coward]

How about no.

You're just afraid of technology that offers dramatic increases in efficiency.

Please take at least a moment to consider how much time this will save
identity thieves before leaping to an answer. This reduces two steps to one,
and that's surely a good thing for someone.

Re:"Your US driver's license"

[k31bang]

They are going to implant it into our right hand.

Ahhh... since if they implanted it into the left, the action could be seen as sinister.

Re:"Your US driver's license"

[fractoid]

Ahhh... since if they implanted it into the left, the action could be seen as sinister.

Obviously, however, such an implant in the right hand would be a dexterous business move.

Re:Sounds Neat

[Hal_Porter]

Visa are just messing with you. They know that the kind of person who writes "Ask for ID" on cards instead of signing them is probably a paranoid nutcase with a concealed carry license and a chronic drug problem, i.e. the sort of person who you definitely don't want to try to force to "sign the card in your presence".

Re:So when your license is suspended...

[jridley]

It won't work for people like me either; you know, people who FOR SOME REASON the mag strips on our IDs mysteriously get erased within minutes of receiving them in the mail. Probably related to the effect that causes anything we own with RFID tags to mysteriously get burn marks around the chips.

Re:So when your license is suspended...

[ThatsNotFunny]

This is a very insensitive proposition to those of us in the bodybuilding profession who have no necks.