Amazon is expanding its contactless payment service in Seattle after announcing it in September of last year. The retail giant announced today that the Amazone One biometric scanner is available at the Whole Foods Market store at Madison Broadway, with plans to bring it to seven more stores.
The device scans the customers" palm first before they can enter a store. Shoppers can also pay for goods by having their palm scanned, assuming it"s associated with their credit card when they first signed up for Amazon One.
It"s worth noting that the service is just an additional payment option at checkout. This means that regular credit cards, cash, or any other eligible payment method are still accepted at Whole Foods Market.
In addition to the Whole Foods Market store at Madison Broadway, Amazon plans to roll out the contactless payment option at its stores in West Seattle, Interbay, Westlake, Kirkland, Lynnwood, Roosevelt Square, and Redmond in Seattle.
If you"re new to the service, you can simply sign up at any Amazon One kiosk at any participating stores by inserting your credit card and hovering your palm over the device. You can register either your one palm or both. The device"s computer vision technology will then create your unique palm signature. Amazon ensures customers that their palm images are encrypted and sent to a secure cloud-based storage instead of storing them in the device. Additionally, you can avail of Prime discounts by linking your Amazon One ID with your Amazon account.