- According to Amazon, palm recognition is more private than some biometric alternatives;
- The firm expects that Amazon One will be an option in additional Amazon stores in the coming months.
Amazon launched a new contactless payment system: Amazon One, that has a technology similar to NFC payments by mobiles, but it scans the palm details to identify the registered user, replacing cards. The first location with the technology will be in Seattle at Amazon Go stores, establishments that do not have a cash register.
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On a blog post, Dilip Kumar, VP of Physical Retail & Technology at Amazon said that Amazon selected palm recognition because it is more private than some biometric alternatives. “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”, he said.
According to Amazon, the service is designed to be highly secure as it uses custom-built algorithms and hardware to create a person’s unique palm signature. “In most retail environments, Amazon One could become an alternate payment or loyalty card option with a device at the checkout counter next to a traditional point of sale system. Or, for entering a location like a stadium or badging into work, Amazon One could be part of an existing entry point to make accessing the location quicker and easier”, said the VP.
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Beyond Amazon Go, the firm expects that Amazon One will be an option in additional Amazon stores in the coming months.
