Biometric Checkout is Coming (But Don’t Hold Your Breath Just Yet)

Love them or hate them, self-service checkout registers in brick-and-mortar stores are here to stay… especially considering that research has demonstrated that Gen Z has about twice the level of buy-in to the automated point-of-sale terminals as Gen X does, and that self-checkout is the predominant form of payment today. With this success, many have wondered how welcome biometric payment processing might be.

As it turns out, it would seem it isn’t.

Amazon One Palm Recognition is Being Field-Tested as a Payment Option

It isn’t as though Amazon is a stranger to the brick-and-mortar retail space. There have been numerous efforts put in place by the giant to expand their services to their customers.

For instance, Amazon Go and Amazon Go Grocery locations allow customers to pick up prepared meals and groceries, respectively, using their mobile devices to conveniently charge the cost of goods to their account. This allows shoppers to simply get what they need and go.

Similarly, Amazon briefly offered their Style storefronts as a means of selling clothing, and having purchased the Whole Foods organic grocery, continues to offer additional deals there.

Most recently, however, Amazon has started implementing a technology it calls Amazon One, a biometric palm recognition technology, around the Seattle area. In addition to incorporating it into Whole Foods and trialing it in Starbucks locations, it’s also been implemented in convenience stores, retailers in airport terminals, and sports stadiums like Lumen Field.

However, Not Everyone is Enthusiastic About Amazon One

This new form of biometric proof has shown to be largely unpopular, with about three-quarters of consumers expressing their discomfort with the technology, with an improvement of just a few percent over the past few years.

This just goes to show that not all technology—especially that which inspires concerns over privacy and security—is necessarily going to be welcomed by your clients and customers. While this will almost certainly change as younger generations make up more of the business landscape and consumer body, for the time being, it is important that you consider these generational differences where your business’ use of technology of any kind is involved.

We Can Help You Balance Your Technology and Optimize Your Processes Accordingly

Turn to Directive for assistance with your business’ essential IT. Not only will we help refine your business operations, we’ll be there to help guide your team through any changes. Give us a call at 607.433.2200 to learn more.