Revolut Pilots Facial Recognition Payments in UK Stores

Revolut Launches Facial Recognition Payment Pilot

Revolut has begun piloting a new facial recognition payment system, named "Pay with Smile," in the United Kingdom. The company states this is the UK's first in-store facial recognition system and offers merchants no processing fees. The initial rollout is limited to select Kiss the Hippo coffee locations in London.

Integration with Revolut Register

The "Pay with Smile" system operates on Revolut Register, the company's new hospitality point-of-sale (POS) hardware. Revolut Register is a two-screen system designed to combine payment processing, banking, and floor operations for businesses. Customers enroll by registering a selfie, and subsequent transactions use biometric authentication to verify identity.

Data Handling and Privacy

Revolut processes and stores all personal data within its proprietary application environment and does not share it. Facial "embeddings" used for transactions are immediately deleted once a sale is confirmed and are not retained by merchants. This approach aims to address potential privacy concerns associated with biometric payment systems.

Market Context and Impact

While Revolut's system is new to the UK, similar facial payment technologies have been introduced elsewhere, such as Alipay's "Smile to Pay" in China in 2017 and Tencent's "Frog Pro" in 2019. Revolut's objective is to reduce payment friction, which can lead to lost sales. The company acknowledges that facial recognition technology can be controversial due to public distrust.