Amazon Launches Biometric Palm-Based Checkouts At Select Amazon Go Stores

American e-commerce giant Amazon has launched yet another feature aimed at speeding up the shopping process for customers. This time, the company is looking to have customers simply use their palms to pay for their groceries and items, negating the need for credit cards or smartphones.

The high-tech biometric-based feature, called the Amazon One, was launched by the company on Tuesday at select Amazon Go stores. The company explained in a statement that the new technology essentially connects a customer's palm print to his or her registered credit card and payment information. Customers that have already registered their palm prints can now use the feature to automatically checkout their items at some of the company's stores.

According to Amazon, the feature is still only available in two of its Amazon Go stores in Seattle. It does plan to install the feature in more of its stores in the coming months, initially in its major outlets located in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.

Apart from installing it in its own stores, Amazon is aiming for the technology to be used by other companies. This includes offices, stadiums, and other establishments that will benefit from cashier-less and contact-free technologies.

During an interview with CNN Business, Amazon's vice president of physical retail and technology, Dilip Kumar, stated that they have been working on the technology even before the pandemic hit the United States. He added that the timing was merely coincidental. Given the current situation, Kumar stated that the immediate application of the technology is paramount as it would help mitigate the further spread of the virus.

While the intention behind the technology may be sound, some people have raised concerns over the mass submission of sensitive biometric data to one of the country's largest retailers. Amazon previously faced the same problem when it rolled out its facial recognition software called Rekognition. The technology was being used by police to identify suspects through CCTV and other video sources. In June, Amazon announced that it would temporarily be suspending the use of Rekognition by authorities.

Kumar noted during the interview that Amazon One will not be storing any information locally. He explained that all palm-related data will be heavily-encrypted and stored online.