Amazon allows people to sign up for its palm recognition service without going to an in-store kiosk. The Amazon One app uses your smartphone’s camera to take a photo of your palm print to set up your account. Once you’ve signed up, you can pay with just your hand, eliminating the need to carry around your smartphone, cash or cumbersome plastic cards.
The technology uses generative artificial intelligence to analyze the vein structure of the palm, converting the data into a “unique digital vector representation” that can be recognized by scanners in retail stores. You must add a payment method to the app to get started and upload a photo of your ID for age verification.
The app launches today for iOS and Android. Previously, you had to go to a physical location to sign up for Amazon One. In addition to payments, the technology can also be used as an age verification tool and a way to eliminate the need to carry tickets.
Once you hand over your palm prints, you have unrestricted access to each one. After all, Amazon owns Whole Foods. The Amazon One payment method is also accepted at the following locations, in addition to certain airports, stadiums, and convenience stores.
Yes, because the password can be changed, but the palm cannot be changed. Amazon said all uploaded palm images are “encrypted and transmitted to the secure Amazon One domain in the Amazon Web Services cloud.” The company also said the app “includes an additional layer of spoof detection,” noting that it’s not possible to save or download an image of the palm to the phone itself.
