Biometrics ID Service for Air Travelers Clear Secure Coming to Retailers

Biometrics identification services company Clear Secure — known for its expedited airline screening products — is taking its technology beyond airports and into shopping malls and retailers, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday (Dec. 16).

Terminals using biometrics and developed by Clear Secure were installed temporarily as part of a trial run this month at New York City’s Showfields interactive mall, and at Rimowa luggage distributor, retailer and repair service centers in New York City and San Francisco.

See also: Clear, Uber Team on Home to Airport Gate App

The company’s banner product, Clear Plus, uses biometrics like iris scans to confirm the identity of travelers at airports and enables people to bypass Transportation Security Administration (TSA) lines that check photo IDs. People can sign up for a membership for Clear Secure and Clear Plus online but then have to report to the airport (or retailer) to scan their biometrics.

Clear launched the trial installations to spotlight its technology and introduce the benefits to a broader customer base beyond travel, CEO Caryn Seidman Becker said.

The company also offers products like Clear Stadium Access, which enables people to bypass lines at sports and entertainment arenas. The pop-up locations are also offering Clear gift cards, a first for the company.

Read more: Biometrics Airport Security Startup Clear Filing IPO

The airline industry is still trying to make its way back from the pandemic fallout. The TSA screened 20.9 million travelers during Thanksgiving week in 2021, up from 9.5 million last year. In 2019, however, 26 million passengers were screened.

Despite the pandemic setback, enrollments in Clear were up 58% in the third quarter, reaching 8.1 million from 5.1 million during the same period in 2020 and 4.3 million in 2018, according to the Wall Street Journal.

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