SEATTLE–Amazon has introduced a new payments solution that lets consumers use their palm prints to pay for goods at its Amazon Go stores.
Called Amazon One, the solution connects a palm print to a stored credit card so they can place their hand above a sensor to enter and buy items at the checkout-free Amazon Go stores. The stores initially opened with a system in which shoppers use a code on their smartphone to open electronic gates; a solution that is still in place.
Initially, the feature will be available at two Amazon Go stores in Seattle, but the company said it plans in upcoming months to add it to more Amazon Go stores, which in addition to Seattle can be found in San Francisco, New York, and Chicago. Amazon said plans to bring it to other retailers — and perhaps places like offices and stadiums — in the future.
Dilip Kumar, Amazon's vice president of physical retail and technology, told CNN Business Amazon One had been in the works since long before the pandemic.
“But the timing could be a positive for Amazon: Customers may find such contact-free entry and payment technology convenient, and businesses, which are increasingly looking to technological solutions to navigate the pandemic, may also find it appealing,” reported CNN Business.
Privacy Concerns Raised
But concerns are likely to be raised, the report noted.
“Yet the idea of handing over biometric data to one of the largest retailers in the United States could raise eyebrows, too,” the CNN report continued. “Amazon has previously come under fire from privacy advocates who are concerned about its facial-recognition software…When it comes to Amazon One data, Kumar said the company isn't storing any information locally on entry scanners at stores. All palm images are encrypted and Amazon stores them online.”
The company told CNN it purposely chose palm recognition rather than another biometric because it can be very accurately matched, and a customer has to make an intentional gesture to use it.
"I encourage people to try it, see how they like the experience, and then go from there," Kumar said.
According to CNN Business, before trying it users must insert a credit card in an Amazon One device and hold a palm above it, facing down, so it can be scanned. In an effort to make the system as accurate as possible, Kumar told CNN Business a camera takes multiple images of the fine lines and ridges of the palm, and captures some subcutaneous details, such as veins, that aren't as visible in typical photographs
Different Palms, Different Cards
After enrollment, a user holds their palm above an Amazon One scanner to enter the store, CNN Business explained.
Then, anything the consumer takes will be automatically charged to the credit card connected to their palm. Users should be able to use the same palm to enter and shop at multiple stores, Kumar told CNN Business. At first, users will be able to link one credit card to either or both palms; eventually, Kumar said, there may be an option to assign one credit card to each palm.