The Amazon One service allows you to pay with the palm of your hand.

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AMAZON

Palm instead of bank card: Amazon unveiled contactless biometric technology on Tuesday to allow customers to pay in-store with the flick of the hand.

This service, called Amazon One, will initially be deployed in two of the Amazon Go convenience stores located in Seattle, the company's headquarters.

Jeff Bezos' group plans to add the technology to its other grocery stores in the United States (in Chicago, San Francisco and New York, in addition to other outlets in Seattle) and sell it to third-party stores but has not announced. of potential partner.

The high-end supermarket chain Whole Foods Market, acquired in 2017 by Amazon, could also be equipped with this new payment system in the future.

Unique signature

“In most commercial spaces, Amazon One could become an alternative payment method or a loyalty card option with a device at checkout alongside the traditional payment system,” explains in a blog post Dilip Kumar, vice president of retail sales and technology at Amazon.

Kumar also states that Amazon One could be used for public entry into stadiums or workplace access for employees.

Described by Amazon as “fast, reliable and secure,” the technology uses custom algorithms from an image of the hand to create a “unique signature with the palm.

Customers wishing to register must have a cell phone number and bank card, but an Amazon account is not required.

Cloud storage

"We take data security and privacy seriously and any sensitive data is handled in accordance with our long-standing policies," Amazon says.

The e-commerce giant insists in particular on the fact that the images of the palms will not be stored on Amazon One devices but encrypted and sent to secure spaces in the cloud.

Users will also have the option of requesting that data associated with Amazon One be deleted, directly from the device or through a dedicated website.

For Doug Stephens, specialist in the evolution of consumption patterns and founder of the consulting firm Retail Prophet, "biometrics as an identity document or means of payment has always made a lot of sense".

“The question is whether Amazon will succeed in normalizing our relationship with it or will it betray our trust?

“Asks the expert on Twitter.

  • High-Tech