<div>
  <ul>
    <li>
      <p>
        Amazon has expanded its partnership with the supermarket chain Whole Foods to launch Amazon One technology at over 65 Whole Foods locations across California.&nbsp;
      </p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>
        The technology will initially be available at Malibu, Montana Avenue, and Santa Monica in Los Angeles and then expanded to more locations in Los Angeles, Orange County, Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Santa Cruz.
      </p>
    </li>
  </ul>
  <p>
    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;
    <b>Analyst QuickTake: </b>
    Amazon initially partnered with Whole Foods in 
    <a href="https://www.supermarketnews.com/technology/whole-foods-market-adopts-amazon-one-palm-scanning-payment-service">
      April 2021
    </a>
     to launch Amazon One at eight Whole Foods locations in Seattle. The technology is currently available in several Whole Foods locations in Los Angeles, Austin, Seattle, and New York. Amazon currently also offers its 
    <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/whole-foods-market-to-launch-just-walk-out-technology-at-two-locations">
      Just Walk Out
    </a>
     technology and its smart cart technology 
    <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/11557">
      Dash Cart
    </a>
     at Whole Foods stores.&lt;ul&gt;
  </p>
  <p>
  </p>
</div>


<div>
  <p>
    <a href="https://www.engadget.com/amazon-one-palm-payment-whole-foods-california-195712253.html">
      Engadget
    </a>
  </p>
  <p>
    <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/8/9/23298684/amazon-one-expanding-palm-print-reading-technology-california-whole-foods">
      The Verge
    </a>
  </p>
  <p>
  </p>
</div>


Biometric Payments

Amazon expands partnership with Whole Foods to introduce Amazon One technology to over 65 stores in California

PROMINENT_CATEGORY

<div>
    <p>SmartMetric, a provider of biometric smartcards, announced the launch of its biometric credit card. The cards, currently in the final stages of lamination and printing, feature an integrated live fingerprint scanner. This scanner can distinguish between actual fingerprints and counterfeit foil prints. The card also has an inbuilt rechargeable battery, making it compatible with credit card readers and ATMs.</p>
</div>

SmartMetric launches biometric credit card

ANALYST_QUICK_TAKE

<div>
 
 <p>PayByFace, a provider of a facial recognition-based POS terminal and loyalty services, has announced plans to expand into various European countries - the Netherlands, the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Romania, and Bulgaria.</p>
 <p>It is reported that the company has GDPR-compliance and it has structured its platform on the architecture reference framework for the EU digital identity Wallet reference. This implementation is scheduled for the second quarter of 2026.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
</b> The company has looked toward international expansion in the past. In <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/13257"> September 2022 </a> , PayByFace launched its platform in the US, the UAE, and South Africa, just months after entering the <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/10890"> Indian </a> market.</p>

PayByFace expands its solutions into European markets

<div>

<p>IDEX Biometrics, a manufacturer of fingerprint sensors, has teamed up with Mutual Trust Bank (MTB) to introduce biometric payment cards in Bangladesh. MTB is one of the top 10 banks in the country.</p>

</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> Last year, IDEX established multiple partnerships to expand the use of biometric payment solutions in Bangladesh. This includes securing&nbsp;partnerships with <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/24991"> Eastern Bank PLC </a> (November) and <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/18774"> Bangladesh’s DoelPay </a> (May).</p>

IDEX Biometrics partners with Mutual Trust Bank to introduce biometric payment cards in Bangladesh

INCUMBENTS_PRESENT

<div>
 
 <p>Amazon has introduced a new update to its palm payment technology, Amazon One. This upgrade now allows users to sign up for the service from the comfort of their homes via a newly released AI-based application, which is available for download on Apple's App Store and Google Play Store.</p>
 <p>The application's operation entails the users logging into their Amazon accounts, taking a snapshot of their palm, and inputting their preferred payment option. According to the reports, the app can match the photo taken from the phone's camera with that taken from the infrared imaging technology employed by Amazon One device. Amazon also claimed that the development of this app involved the use of GenAI to generate synthetic palm images, which were then used to train the machine learning models. Besides, the company assures that the palm images taken through the app are secured, encrypted, and incapable of being downloaded or stored on individual devices. </p>
 <p>The use of Amazon One extends to over 500 Whole Foods Markets spread across the United States, numerous Amazon stores, as well as more than 150 third-party locations. Statistics reveal that the technology has so far been used over 8 million times with more than 80% of its users choosing to repeatedly opt for the service. </p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
</b> Amazon took several steps last year to expand its Amazon One launch. This includes launching its solutions <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/23485"> into all Whole Foods locations in Massachusetts </a> (November), integrating its payment system in <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/22175"> FreedomPay's commerce technology platform </a> (September), and <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/17273"> partnering with Panera Bread </a> (March).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

Amazon upgrades Amazon One, enabling at-home sign-up

<div>
 
 <p>IDEX Biometrics has joined forces with Accomplish Financial to initiate a biometric payment program tailored for visually and memory-impaired individuals, initially in the UK. The initiative is spurred by the European Accessibility Act 2025 that encourages businesses to promote inclusivity and enhance accessibility. The cooperation could also stimulate the release of IDEX Pay biometric payment cards.</p>

</div>

IDEX Biometrics partners with Accomplish Financial to improve payment accessibility

<div>
 
 <p>IDEX Biometrics and KONA I are extending their collaboration to launch biometric card solutions, notably metal cards, in Japan. These cards are set to be compatible with standard protocols like FIDO2 and are expected to be launched in the second half of 2024.</p>

</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
</b> The two companies <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/23152"> partnered last October </a> to introduce biometric payment cards in both recycled PVC and metal formats for banking clients across the globe. Notably, IDEX has also established multiple partnerships in the recent past to encourage the use of biometric payment solutions in the Asian region. This includes partnering with Bangladesh’s EBL and receiving an <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/24309"> initial order for IDEX Pay from an undisclosed smart card manufacturer in Asia in </a> November. Additionally, it partnered with <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/19900"> Taiwanese Beautiful Card Corporation </a> and <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/20394"> Hong Kong’s Goldpac Fintech in </a> July.</p>

IDEX Biometrics partners with KONA I to launch biometric payment cards in Japan

<div>
 
 <p>A biometric smartcard provider, SmartMetric, has launched a credit card incorporated with a fingerprint scanner. This feature checks the cardholders' identities with every transaction.</p>
 <p>The credit card is stated to be compatible with current point-of-sale terminals that accept either chip or contactless payments.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> SmartMetric’s launch comes less than a month since biometric sensor and software provider FPC <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/25690"> introduced FPC Smart'Nroll </a> , a reusable device for enrolling biometric data on payment cards, to support biometric payment card launches. However, payment card inlay provider <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/26174"> Zwipe announced last week </a> that it would be exiting the biometric payment market to shift its focus fully toward the biometric access control market.</p>

SmartMetric launches biometric payment card

<div>
 
 <p>Zwipe, a biometric payment card manufacturer, is exiting the biometric payment sector to fully concentrate on biometric access control with its Zwipe Access solution. The strategic move aims to improve commercial success and impact Zwipe's business operations positively. </p>
 <p>Low market adoption and unsuccessful commercial launches, despite Visa and Mastercard certification, have led to his decision.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:</b> Earlier this month, Zwipe announced a shift in strategic focus on the more profitable <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/25666"> Zwipe Access </a> while reducing operational costs associated with Zwipe Pay.&nbsp;</p>

Zwipe exits biometric payment market

<div>
 
 <p>Biometric sensor and software provider, Fingerprint Cards (FPC), has launched a reusable device, FPC Smart'Nroll, for biometric data enrollment on payment cards. Smart'Nroll offers a user-friendly display with guidance prompts for easy enrollment, irrespective of language.&nbsp;</p>
 <p>The device complies with GDPR compliance, suitable for varied card configurations, and does not store personal fingerprint data. Additionally, it includes a replaceable battery.<p>
 <p>FPC mentioned that the enrollment devices are ready for shipment, supporting biometric payment card launches.<p>
 
</div>

Fingerprint Cards introduces biometric payment card enrollment system

<div>
 
 <p>Zwipe, a biometric payment card inlay provider, is shifting focus to commercialize Zwipe Access (biometric access-control cards), reducing costs related to Zwipe Pay (biometric payment cards). This is due to lower-than-expected market adoption and commercial launches.</p>
 <p>As part of this strategic shift, the company plans to cut operating costs by NOK~40 million (USD 3.8 million) compared to 2023, downsize the Zwipe Pay team, and slightly expand the Zwipe Access sales team. It targets to break even by the second half of 2025 from higher restructuring margins.</p>
 
</div>

All Updates