Biometric payments are moving from futuristic concept to everyday reality. Point-of-sale provider Clover is adding face and palm scanning technology to its platform, bringing faster and more secure checkout experiences to small- and medium-sized businesses.
The integration comes through a deal with Wink, aiming to bring biometric authentication to ra range of retail settings.
“This is a fantastic strategic move by the Clover team, and really redefines the level of POS tech available to SMBs,” said Don Apgar, Director of Merchant Payments at Javelin Strategy & Research. “Innovation at the checkout has long been driven by enterprise retailers who have both the resources and capital to implement new technologies. Now, the frictionless process of biometric payments and loyalty is available to millions of SMBs as part of the Clover platform.”
A Biometric Mainstay
Beyond security and convenience, one of the main drivers of biometric adoption in merchant use cases is consumer familiarity. The near-ubiquity of smartphones has made facial and fingerprint recognition a routine part of daily life.
However, adoption has faced challenges, as consumers must actively opt into biometrics programs. This creates both educational and security responsibilities for providers. To the latter end, Clover will manage customers’ biometric profiles via tokenization, keeping personal data separate from payment credentials.
From Pilot to Implementation
The opt-in requirement does, however, limit certain use cases, as many shoppers won’t enroll for a one-off purchase. Clover plans to initially rollout the program in quick-service restaurants, sports venues, and retail stores.
Sports and entertainment venues are particularly suited for biometric integration, as the technology can dramatically shorten queue times. Season ticket holders and loyal fans may also be incentivized to join their team’s biometrics authentication program.
This loyalty angle is another reason why more pilots and trials of biometric payments are emerging. While many programs are still in early stages, recent developments signal process. Notably, Amazon Pay became one of the first digital wallets to support biometrics on India’s real-time payments giant UPI. Along with Clover’s launch, this suggests that biometric programs are increasingly moving from trial phases to broader implementation.
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