Hertz to use biometric scans for some rental car pickups

Hertz announced Tuesday that it will begin allowing some rental car drivers to use biometric scans to pick up their vehicles.

The rental car company is teaming up with Clear, which makes biometric screening kiosks found at many airports, the company announced, in an effort to cut down the time needed to pick up a rental car.

Hertz will become the first car rental company to use biometric technology, The Associated Press reported.

{mosads}According to the company, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program members will be able to pick up a car, drive to the exit and have their face or fingerprint scanned at the exit gate without having to visit a kiosk. Drivers’ biometric data must match up with their reservation data. 

The capability was rolled out this week at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to the AP, and will expand to over 40 Hertz rental locations in 2019.

Hertz’s announcement comes as the use of facial recognition software has faced controversy.

This summer, Amazon employees asked the company to stop selling its facial recognition software to law enforcement and to stop providing services to companies who work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Last year, senators accused the Department of Homeland Security of using unauthorized facial scans at airports and potentially violating federal law.