Facial recognition technology is aiming to revolutionise the way customers shop by making payments faster, more secure and more seamless than ever before. Demand for contactless payment solutions also continues to grow with cash usage having halved across the Middle East in the last five years.
Tapping into this demand, last year saw some notable entries into the biometric payments space in the region. In 2024, here are some locations where you may want to leave your card at home.
Carrefour
Photo by Charles Gao on Unsplash
This year could see further expansion of Carrefour’s facial recognition payment solution in the UAE In February, Carrefour Deira and Amsaf Mall were the first stores to test the “Face Pay’ verification platform which has been designed to allow customers pay for goods by simply grinning at a payment terminal. Customers who enrol in Face Pay through the Carrefour website or mobile app can pay at checkout without using a card, money, or phone.
It was reported at the time that the service, developed by PopID and provisioned through Network International’s acceptance network, would soon be adopted widely throughout the UAE. This is despite the biometrics-enabled payment terminals being in their testing phases in a few select establishments. In the future, Carrefour’s Face Pay system may also be linked to earning loyalty points, a system PopID has already trialed America and Japan.
Astra Tech’s ‘B Store’
Technology investment and development group, Astra Tech launched its first autonomous shopping store in Abu Dhabi, last year. Focusing on grocery items with extended shelf life, the whole concept of ‘B Store’ is to provide a more seamless shopping experience from start to finish.
The store, located in Sky Tower on Al Reem Island, uses artificial intelligence to allow customers pay by tapping their card at the POS machine or by looking at Payby’s FacePay machine. Once a payment method has been completed, the ELO screen initiates a question about their receipt. After selecting their preferred option, the gates open, granting access to the store where the customers can then retrieve their desired items.
Dubai Metro
Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) recently unveiled several new projects including a smart gate for paying public transport fares through facial recognition. The smart gate would remove the need for users to pay fares using tickets, nol cards, or credit cards and could be applied to several types of public transport such as Dubai Metro, Dubai Tram, buses, taxis and marine transport.
The system functions by first registering and identifying the user so their face can be recognised using cameras and analysed in 3D. This image is then transformed into bio data matched with the image before the fare amount is deducted from the account. Although the RTA has not yet revealed the specifics of the rollout, there is much anticipation with its launch set to make the daily commute even more seamless.
