Contactless payments could become even quicker with a new palm reader from Amazon.
Dubbed Amazon One, the device scans users’ palm prints for fast biometric verification, and is being rolled out at the entry gates of two Amazon Go stores in Seattle.
According to Dilip Kumar, Vice President, Amazon Physical Retail, potential applications for Amazon One include use as an alternative point-of-sale payment and loyalty card option.
“Amazon One is a fast, convenient, contactless way for people to use their palm to make everyday activities like paying at a store, presenting a loyalty card, entering a location like a stadium, or badging into work more effortless.
“The service is designed to be highly secure and uses custom-built algorithms and hardware to create a person’s unique palm signature,” he said.
Amazon chose palm recognition, it says, because it allows customers to choose when and where they make use of the service.
“Palm recognition is considered more private than some biometric alternatives because you can’t determine a person’s identity by looking at an image of their palm. It also requires someone to make an intentional gesture by holding their palm over the device to use.
“And it’s contactless, which we think customers will appreciate, especially in current times,” said Kumar.
The company plans to implement Amazon One at more Amazon locations in coming months, says Kumar, and is already in active discussions with other retail customers.
“We believe Amazon One has broad applicability beyond our retail stores, so we also plan to offer the service to third parties like retailers, stadiums, and office buildings so that more people can benefit from this ease and convenience in more places,” he said.
