Amazon has launched a cashless technology “pay with the palm of your hand”
Tech giant Amazon is taking cashless payments to a new level. The company has announced the launch of another contactless payment method that requires a simple wave of the palm.
In a statement on Thursday, the company announced that a palm recognition service called Amazon One will be used for payment, identification, and loyalty program use in more than 500 Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh stores. It is planned to be introduced throughout the United States by the end of this year.
Instead of pulling out a credit card or smartphone, customers using subscription services will simply swipe their hand over the Amazon One reader.
According to the company, palm payment is safe – the device scans not only the customer’s hand (surface details such as lines and protrusions) but also recognizes the “pattern” of the venous system. This allows you to create a unique digital signature. Each of them will be stored in vector form in the AWS cloud.
The developers say that this will not pose a threat to privacy. Palm recognition is considered to be more private than some biometric alternatives, as a person’s identity cannot be determined from such a print. Moreover, the service is contactless, and information about all “transactions” is stored in your personal account.
You can “register” your palm in the payment system using a bank card, Amazon account, and phone number. Then you need to pay with your hand at least once in any establishment where Amazon One is installed.
By the way, these devices will not only work in Whole Foods Market – some other retailers are also joining the program. In this way, the company aims to create more convenient opportunities for customers and improve their shopping experience.
