News

The Latest Payment Method: Your Face

Giulio Saggin
Giulio Saggin
Tuesday, 28 November 2023

First it was cash, then it was credit cards and, more recently, smartphones. Now payment can be made by ... your face.

California (Pasadena) based company, PopID, has launched PopPay, a 'face-pay' service that allows PopID customers to take a selfie, upload it via the company app and link their debit or credit card to their account.

When the customer is out-and-about and needs to make a payment, they look into the camera of a PopID tablet or kiosk, wait for the server to verify the customer's identity, and the transaction goes through.

A smattering of retailers and restaurants in the Pasadena area have started accepting PopPay, including national and regional restaurant brands such as CaliBurger, Plant Power, Bojangles, Deli Time and Port of Subs.

The facial recognition service can be used in several ways: at the drive-thru, at an in-venue kiosk, via a display screen at the counter, or at your table where one of the wait-staff scans your face using a hand-held Android device. PopID accounts are also able to tie in with loyalty programs or purchase credits.

Founder and owner of PopID, John Miller, wants to see a time when the technology can be be used for everything: "At work in the morning to unlock the door, at a restaurant to pay for tacos, then use it to sign in at the gym, for your ticket at the Lakers game that night, and even use it to authenticate your age to buy beers after."

However, facial recognition technology is still viewed with a level of suspicion by many and gaining the public's trust might be easier said than done. In an effort to do this, PopID is complying with the strictest laws in the US when it comes to face data, the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, under which Facebook was successfully sued for $650 million in a class action over its use of facial recognition technology.

Built into PopID's user agreement is that they will only share user data when a customer gives their permission and should e.g. a police department ask to check one of their photos against the PopID database, they would be treated like any third party and refused permission.

And if they produce a warrant?

"(We will) fight it as much as we can, until I get something that says I'm gonna go in the slammer unless PopID cooperates," said Miller.

Never miss a vulnerability like this again

Sign up to SecAlerts for real-time vulnerability data matched to your software, aggregated from hundreds of sources.

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2024 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203