Amazon rolls out palm payment technology

Amazon is letting customers pay with the palm of their hand at two of its Seattle convenience stores.

The e-commerce giant is trialling its new contactless Amazon One payment method, which connects your palm print to a credit card so that you can pay by waving your hand in front of a scanner, it announced Tuesday.

The firm has been experimenting with payment options, including the use of „just walk out” technology, which taps sensors and cameras to track what items customers take from the shelves and then automatically charges through an app.

Now it has unveiled a new option, Amazon One, which uses „custom-built algorithms and hardware” to create and read a person’s unique palm signature.

Customers can sign up by going to one of the two stores, entering their credit card details and mobile number into a device, and scanning their palm on a biometric reader. The process takes less than a minute, Amazon said, and customers can register both of their palms. The scan then connects to their Amazon One ID.

If a customer decided to cancel their Amazon One ID, or they didn’t use an Amazon One device for two years, the company would permanently delete the data, it said.

Initially, the system will be used at select Amazon Go stores, which have entry gates that customers currently get through by entering a code on their phone. Customers will take the goods they want and the card linked to their palm will be automatically charged.

However, Amazon plans to extend the rollout and also wants to sell to third parties, arguing it could be used for everyday activities like paying at a store, presenting a loyalty card, entering a location like a stadium, or badging into work, according to businessinsider.com.