Amazon will allow customers to pay with palms instead of cards


01/20/2020

Amazon, the world's largest online retailer, wants to take one-touch payments to the next level. The company will create terminals that allow paying with a palm instead of a credit card or smartphone.



Global Panorama via flickr
Amazon plans to create payment terminals where a palm touch is enough to pay, writes The Wall Street Journal, citing informed sources. The company’s spokesman declined to comment, WSJ notes.

According to sources, Amazon is going to install new terminals in cafes, fast food restaurants and other retail outlets. Amazon suggests that when using terminals for the first time, people will scan their palms and link biometric data to their bank account, sources say. After that, they will already be able to pay for purchases with one touch.

The publication’s interlocutors clarify that the company recently filed a patent application for a "contactless biometric identification system." Palm scanning is expected to be part of this system.

The data that will pass through the terminals, including the time and place of purchase, and will be stored in the Amazon cloud, some sources say. They believe the retailer intends to integrate this information with Amazon.com consumer spending. This opens up new opportunities for the company, which will be able to take more money for advertising on the basis that it probably knows what products will be in demand. 

source: wsj.com