To address labor shortages while still providing a smooth customer experience, Yahoo! Mart has introduced a self-service point-of-sale (POS) register that allows customers to pay with facial recognition.
Consumers who want to pay in this way need to register their facial images on the Yahoo! website that links to them. Japanese ID and PayPay account. During self-checkout, customers need to scan the barcode on the product, select the “pay with face” option, and then look at the camera.
Once the facial recognition process is successful, payment is done by utilizing the consumer’s PayPay balance. By paying this way, customers don’t need to take out their smartphones or wallets. According to Yahoo! In Japan, with the customer’s consent, any facial recognition data collected will be kept strictly confidential and will only be used for identity verification purposes.
Japan’s Biometric Efforts
Japan has been tinkering with biometrics since 2018, with Face recognition payment project Launch within the confines of a regulatory sandbox. Now, the project has grown into an association, with many companies expressing interest in entering the biometric fintech space.
Some 31 Japanese companies from various industries have formed a group to explore the best regulatory and legal framework for customers to buy products and services just by looking at a camera.
The growing importance of biometrics
The biometrics market continues to make significant strides across the globe. With biometric authentication methods including facial and fingerprint recognition, consumers have more choices when purchasing goods and services. From public schools to airlines, biometrics have been adopted by multiple industries. While there are many reasons for businesses to adopt biometrics, the most important reasons are to help reduce cybercrime and provide an alternative contactless payment method.
