SEATTLE — Amazon is rolling out pay-by-palm technology at some Whole Foods grocery stores in Seattle. The company claims the new contactless payment method will be quicker and more convenient.
The technology, called Amazon One, lets shoppers scan the palm of their hand and connect it to a credit card or Amazon account. After the initial setup, which Amazon says takes less than a minute, shoppers can scan their hand at the register to pay for groceries without having to open their wallets.
Amazon One technology creates a "palm signature" for each user based on the most distinct identifiers of their palm, according to the company. The company said palm images are stored in a "highly secure area" built for Amazon One in the cloud created for each customer's palm signature.
The contactless payment method is available for use at the Whole Foods' Madison Broadway location and will be added at seven other locations in Seattle in the coming months.
Amazon said the new payment method won't affect the jobs of Whole Foods employees, and the payment method will just be an additional option at checkout.
Amazon first launched the technology late last year and at the time said the technology could be used at stadiums, office buildings and other retailers.
Amazon previously experimented with contactless payment at Amazon Go stores in Seattle, including Amazon Go Grocery, Amazon Books, Amazon 4-star and Amazon Pop Up.