Revolut is trialling a new facial recognition checkout system, dubbed 'Pay with Smile', at three London locations in a move that could let customers pay with a 'simple glance'. The technology is being rolled out for in-store payments using a Revolut Register terminal.
How the system works
To use the technology, customers tap Pay with Smile on a screen to complete a face identity check, in a similar way to unlocking a smartphone or accessing a banking app. Facial technology verifies the user's identity against checks completed when signing up to Revolut, authenticating and processing the payment.
Customers must actively opt in by enabling Revolut Pay with Smile in their app settings. Revolut said customers will not be opted in by default, and consent can be revoked at any time.
Security and pilot details
Revolut said it encrypts facial recognition data end-to-end, and personal data will not be stored by merchants. If checks pass and a successful match is found, an account-to-account payment is authorised.
From Thursday (September 24), the scheme will be piloted across three London locations. For Revolut customers, the technology will be available at Kiss the Hippo cafes in Bloomsbury, Chelsea and Soho from September 24 to 26.
Rollout and merchant response
Revolut said the rollout of sales of the Revolut Register terminal will take place in due course. It also said it is offering 0% processing fees on Revolut Pay with Smile transactions, which it said will help ease burdens on independent venues.
Alex Codina, general manager of merchant payments at Revolut Business, said: "By combining high-performance processing with facial recognition technology, we’re replacing outdated, fragmented tills with a hyper-efficient checkout experience designed to solve consumer and merchant pain points."
Alex Damgaci, managing director at Kiss the Hippo Coffee, added: "We’re looking forward to welcoming guests to try Pay with Smile at our Bloomsbury, Soho and Chelsea cafes before we roll out across all 12 of our cafes later this year."
