Revolut Pilots Facial Recognition Payments
The UK trial, called Pay with Smile, aims to reduce payment friction at select London coffee shops with no processing fees for merchants
Revolut is piloting a facial recognition system called Pay with Smile at select Kiss the Hippo coffee locations in London. The trial, which is set to run until September 26th, uses biometric authentication data to verify users' identities against registered selfies.
The Pay with Smile system runs on Revolut Register, a hospitality point-of-sale (POS) hardware system. This system is designed to combine payments, banking, and floor operations for merchants, aiming to provide a hyper-efficient checkout experience.
One of the key benefits of the Pay with Smile system is that it has no processing fees for merchants. This could potentially make it an attractive option for businesses looking to reduce their costs.
Revolut has also emphasized its commitment to data security, stating that it keeps and processes all personal data entirely within its own proprietary application environment. Additionally, facial 'embeddings' used to complete transactions are immediately deleted after a sale is confirmed and not kept in-store by merchants.
## Why it matters The introduction of facial recognition payments in the UK raises important questions about convenience, security, and privacy. While the technology has the potential to reduce payment friction and make transactions more efficient, it also raises concerns about the use of biometric data and the potential for misuse.
As the trial continues, it will be important to monitor how the technology is received by consumers and merchants, and to assess its potential impact on the wider payments industry. With the rise of contactless payments and digital wallets, the use of facial recognition technology could potentially be a significant development in the evolution of payment systems.
## What happens next The trial of Pay with Smile is set to run until September 26th, after which Revolut will likely assess the results and determine whether to roll out the technology more widely. If successful, the system could potentially be introduced at more locations, both in the UK and elsewhere.
As the use of facial recognition technology in payments continues to grow, it will be important to ensure that the necessary safeguards are in place to protect consumers' personal data and prevent misuse. With its emphasis on security and data protection, Revolut's Pay with Smile system will be an important test case for the wider adoption of facial recognition payments.
