JP Morgan Payments expands access to ‘pay by face’ technology

An option to “pay with your face” could be coming soon to a retailer near you. JP Morgan Payments is expanding its partnership with PopID to offer its in-store biometric payment option to pilot merchants across the US.

The technology allows customers to process transactions by scanning their face rather than swiping a credit card or holding up their phone. Customers gain access to the platform by signing up and providing a selfie, which is securely stored in PopID’s database, creating a unique digital key connected to their bank account.

“This is a giant step forward in helping our clients reimagine the entire retail experience for their customers and bringing best-in-class biometrics payments solutions to the market,” Jean-Marc Thienpont, managing director of omnichannel and biometric solutions at JP Morgan Payments, said in a statement.

PopID’s in-house research says its platform cuts down on checkout times by 90 seconds per transaction, and can boost ticket size by 4%.

Fast food chain Whataburger is already using the PopID’s solution, and now it’s planning to expand the offering to transactions processed by JP Morgan Payments.

“This new offering allows us to provide a faster, safer and seamless checkout process for our valued guests, backed by the stability of an established financial institution,” Whataburger VP of technology Jerry Phillips said in a statement.

Security concerns: The technology has gained traction in recent years, as major financial institutions such as Mastercard have also touted the benefits of pay by face and other biometric payment options.

But security and privacy concerns remain; one study noted that “unlike passwords and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs), users’ facial information is highly private biometric information, which is permanent and not editable,” which some have argued makes it more vulnerable to privacy and security issues.

In a press release, JP Morgan Payments said “the solution is consent-driven and customers can opt in and out of the program at any time at their discretion.”