Face payments might sound like science fiction, but it is an emerging technology that is now a reality at a California burger chain. For the first in America, you can now order a burger and pay with your face, while Flippy the hamburger flipping robot makes your burger in the kitchen.
CaliBurger, a California Burger chain, is using a face activated payment program, that allows customers to step up to a self serve kiosk access their loyalty account, order and make payment with their face. (by looking at the camera)
The facial recognition payment program, enables consumers to pay with a glance at the camera without ever needing to swipe a credit card.
Face payments are a component of Cali Group’s unified C-Vision™platform. The entire restaurant is controlled from one operating system run on a mobile device. If customers are pleased with the face pay experience, the technology will be rolled out to global restaurant locations.
Biometrics: Privacy and Convenience?
Artificial Intelligence powered kiosks enable the biometrics technology and track customer habits and preferences, which they can use to make future recommendations. The facial recognition platform already knows what you might be ordering so it enhances customer loyalty and provides a frictionless user experience.
In fact, the facial recognition software uses biometric authentication. This technology compares a previously registered biometric identifier (face scan) against a newly captured biometric. For example, the face scan captured each time the customer orders.
“The positive customer reaction to face based loyalty login at the kiosks encouraged us to quickly deploy face payments at the kiosks,” said John Miller, CEO of Cali Group.
Privacy and security are a top priority for Cali Group. So initially the face payments system will require a two-step authentication process. In addition to smiling at the camera, the customer will need to enter a 3-digit CVV number from their credit card. Eventually, Cali Group plans to eliminate the entry of the CVV number and only require a smile to authenticate the transaction.
Face Payments and Industry 4.0
Biometrics is the most promising emerging technology along with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Biometrics like facial recognition will become a critical differentiator for companies success as they navigate the changing business landscape of the fourth industrial revolution over the next few years. Convenience and a frictionless consumer experience, is driving businesses to consider how they can deliver better customer service through emerging technology. The trifecta of privacy, convenience, and security may accelerate biometric mobile payment technology. But are we trading our privacy for convenience?
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