Dad becomes first Brit to get microchipped with bank card implant — letting him pay with his hand
A DAD is the first Brit to get microchipped with a bank card implant — letting him pay with just his hand.
Arnie Szoke, 40, forked out £350 to have the op in Germany.
The NHS healthcare assistant said cashiers and other shoppers have been stunned.
He added: “People ask how I can pay with my hand.
“The implant looks cool, but my wife would never have one.”
The chip uses contactless card technology, with magnetic fields transferring data to readers.
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Surgeons open a pocket in the side of the hand for the safety pin-sized chip — just half a millimetre thick — then stitch it up within five minutes.
Father-of-two Arnie said: “Using the chip takes a bit of learning.
“It’s like a normal card but you have to be more precise with where you tap.
“It means I don’t have to keep a wallet with me all the time.
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“The last time I used cash, £40 went missing along with my work pass card.”
The £220 chips are made by British-Polish start-up Walletmor.
They expire like a normal bank card and Arnie’s will need replacing in a second £130 op in 2029.
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In Sweden, 4,000 people have body chips linked to their bank accounts.
Arnie, from Southall, West London, added: “This technology could be used for anything — even passports, tickets or driving licences.”