A system and method for verifying a user’s identity during a point-of-sale transaction are provided. A high voltage circuit provides power to a microwave generator that, in turn, supplies microwave radiation to drive a lamp. The insert is intended to absorb, store and return energy to the object struck, which would otherwise lost using the existing shoe components and inserts. In one aspect of the invention, the base layer is decoded and a quality enhancement is next applied to the base layer.