Amazon has launched Amazon One, a new biometric technology that enables shoppers to enter and pay for items at stores by placing their palm over a scanning device. In order for it to work, users first have to connect their palm to a stored credit card. After that, users are able to pay with their hand.
To start, Amazon One will be an entry option at two of its dozens of cashierless Amazon Go stores, located near its Seattle headquarters. Over time, Amazon plans to introduce the technology at more of its physical stores in the coming months.
Amazon also hopes to sell the palm-scanning technology to other companies like retailers, stadiums and office buildings. The company said it’s already in “active discussions with several potential customers.”
It’s a model Amazon has experimented with before. In March, Amazon said it will begin selling the technology powering its cashierless stores, called “Just Walk Out,” which allows shoppers to enter a store by scanning an app and then exit without waiting in line. Cameras and sensors track what items customers choose and charge them when they leave.
FAQs from Amazon:
Why did you create Amazon One?
As with everything Amazon does, we started with the customer experience and worked backwards. We solved for things that are durable and have stood the test of time but often cause friction or wasted time for customers. We wondered whether we could help improve experiences like paying at checkout, presenting a loyalty card, entering a location like a stadium, or even badging into work. So, we built Amazon One to offer just that—a quick, reliable, and secure way for people to identify themselves or authorize a transaction while moving seamlessly through their day.
Why did you pick palm recognition?
We selected palm recognition for a few important reasons. One reason was that palm recognition is considered more private than some biometric alternatives because you can’t determine a person’s identity by looking at an image of their palm. It also requires someone to make an intentional gesture by holding their palm over the device to use. And it’s contactless, which we think customers will appreciate, especially in current times. Ultimately, using a palm as a biometric identifier puts customers in control of when and where they use the service.
Is an Amazon account required?
We designed the signup experience to be fast and lightweight, and you don’t need an Amazon account to sign up or start using Amazon One—just a mobile phone number and credit card. But if you choose to use your Amazon account with Amazon One, you can log in on our website to securely manage your information and see your usage history.
What is the device actually scanning when it creates my unique palm signature?
When you hold your palm over the Amazon One device, the technology evaluates multiple aspects of your palm. No two palms are alike, so we analyze all these aspects with our vision technology and select the most distinct identifiers on your palm to create your palm signature.
How do you protect customer data?
At Amazon, nothing is more important to us than earning and maintaining customer trust. We take data security and privacy seriously, and any sensitive data is treated in accordance with our long-standing policies. With this in mind, we designed Amazon One to be highly secure. For example, the Amazon One device is protected by multiple security controls and palm images are never stored on the Amazon One device. Rather, the images are encrypted and sent to a highly secure area we custom-built in the cloud where we create your palm signature.
If I decide I don’t want to use Amazon One any more after signing up, can I delete my biometric data?
Yes, you can request to delete data associated with Amazon One through the device itself or via the online customer portal at one.amazon.com. We believe customers should always be in complete control of when and where they use the service, and we designed Amazon One with this in mind.
With this now available in select Amazon Go stores, does this change how I enter those stores?
We’re giving people the choice to shop at our stores when, where, and how it makes sense for them. At the two Seattle stores where we’re starting with Amazon One—our original Amazon Go store at 7th & Blanchard and our store in South Lake Union at 300 Boren Ave. North—you’ll continue having the option to enter the stores using the Amazon Go app, Amazon app, or with associate assistance if you want to pay in cash. Now, we’re adding the additional option for you to use Amazon One.
Do you have any third-party customers who plan to use Amazon One?
We’re excited to see Amazon One in more retail environments and are in active discussions with several potential customers, but beyond that, we’ll have to ask you to stay tuned.