The end of the era of cards: you can pay in Amazon stores with a scan of the palm

Amazon is testing a new payment technology - palm scanning at Whole Foods. It is currently only available in Seattle, Washington. Writes about this The Verge.

Photo: Shutterstock

The company has used Amazon One payment technology in its Amazon-branded stores in the Seattle area (including Amazon Go and Amazon Books), but the rollout to Whole Foods will lead to the technology's most significant expansion. The company says thousands of customers have already signed up for Amazon One.

According to the FAQ, palm scanning technology analyzes "the minute characteristics of your palm - such as lines and valleys, as well as subcutaneous features such as vein patterns" to identify a customer, allowing biometric scanning to be used as an alternative (and theoretically faster) payment method than credit cards or cash.

On the subject: Amazon couriers will assemble and install furniture and appliances for customers

Customers will be able to register their palms, allowing them to associate a physical credit card with this scan. Amazon One users who have already signed up may need to re-link their cards in order to use them with Whole Foods. And of course, Amazon One users will be able to link their Prime accounts to their scanners to receive discounts on purchases.

Amazon One will debut at Whole Foods in Seattle as an add-on payment option for customers looking to expand to seven other Whole Foods stores in the Seattle area over the next few months. Amazon hasn't announced plans to further develop its palm-scanning payment system outside of Seattle.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New York

This suggests that Amazon is building an ever-expanding database of biometric information associated with its customers. But this is causing concern among some experts. Especially considering that Amazon's data (unlike other biometric security systems like Apple's Face ID) is stored in the cloud rather than protected locally on a specific device.

Read also on ForumDaily:

What to do when moving from one US state to another: personal experience and advice

Amazon couriers will assemble and install furniture and appliances for customers

Million-dollar contracts and a luxurious life: how the Obamas made their last name an expensive brand

Wealthy Americans underpay $ 175 billion in taxes every year

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.