A fingerprint scan now gets a ticketholder into a Mets game

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - A quick touch is now all you need to get into a Mets game. Citi Field is the first stadium in the New York area to roll out what's called biometric ticketing—meaning you won't need to produce an actual ticket or show one on your phone to enter the game.

It comes courtesy of security screening company Clear, which also offers expedited screening at airports and expedited entry at more than a dozen sports venues, including Yankee Stadium and Madison Square Garden, though at those venues you still need to present tickets.

"This allows you to link your ticket to your finger, and once you enter you simply tap, go through security and you're in," said Ed O'Brien, Clear's head of sports. "You no longer need to scan your ticket."

To use the technology at Citi Field, ticket holders just need to link their Clear and MLB accounts for seamless entry.

"Not only does it identify you are you, but it also pulls up any tickets you have on file for that day," O'Brien said.

The signup can be done at the stadium and involves scanning your fingerprints and ID and providing an email and phone number. Signing up for Clear at sporting events is free but costs $15 a month to use at airports.

While the concept of submitting fingerprints poses privacy concerns for some, Clear promises it doesn't share any of the biometric data it collects.

The company would not disclose how many people have used the biometric scanning at Citi Field for the first few games of the season.

In the future, Clear envisions its users being able to scan their fingers in lieu of showing ID to purchase alcohol at sporting events. The company is already testing that system in Seattle.