Revolut Unveils Pilot of UK’s First In-Store Facial Recognition Checkout

by London-TV in Business

Revolut, the UK licensed bank, has announced the initial rollout of the UK’s first in-store facial recognition payment system, Revolut Pay With Smile, allowing customers to simply pay for their everyday essentials with a smile and finally put an end to queues caused by fumbling for cards and devices or the pain of a frozen card reader.

Whether mid-phone call, balancing shopping bags, or digging through a tote bag full to the brim trying to find a lost purse, Revolut Pay with Smile removes the friction of everyday shopping with a simple glance using their selfie ID checks they used to sign up to Revolut, once enrolled.

It comes as nationwide independent research, commissioned by Revolut, reveals a frozen card reader with a growing queue behind you is officially the most embarrassing thing that can happen in a British pub, beating out dropping a tray of drinks (26%) and waving at a total stranger (17%).

Today’s shoppers have zero patience for till and checkout lag. Gen Z is five times more likely to walk out of a venue over a payment glitch than Boomers, while 21% of Millennials would rather miss their train than endure a slow card reader. The appetite for smoother checkout isn’t just a youth trend too, with 41% of Baby Boomers agreeing that facial recognition payment options would make their lives easier.

Alex Codina, General Manager of Merchant Payments at Revolut Business, commented: “We’ve all had that moment of panic at the till when a terminal freezes, your phone is at 1% battery or your hands are too full to dig out your card. Shopping should be effortless, not a test of your patience. With Revolut Pay with Smile, you can leave your wallet in your pocket, skip the awkward wait, and pay for your morning coffee with just a glance. It’s simple, completely secure, and turns a chore into something seamless.”

Revolut Pay with Smile authenticates transactions with end-to-end encryption managed inside the Revolut app and personal data is never stored by merchants.

Revolut customers in London will be able to experience the first trial of the new technology first-hand all day at Kiss the Hippo Bloomsbury, Soho and Chelsea from 24th-26th September. Customers who pay with a smile will get a coffee for £1.

Revolut customers who want to opt-in to pay with a smile, can do via the Revolut app, earning triple RevPoints, Revolut’s loyalty points programme, per transaction.