Amazon announced Thursday it is introducing its pay-by-palm services in Whole Foods Market stores nationwide, allowing customers to make purchases without a wallet or phone.
The palm recognition service, called Amazon One, will be available for payment and Prime membership benefits in all Whole Foods Market locations by the end of this year. Instead of using traditional payment methods, customers can simply hover their palm over an Amazon One device.
Customers who connect their Prime membership to their Amazon One profile will also receive automatic savings once their palm is registered, according to the Seattle-based retail giant.
Introduced in 2021, Amazon stated the technology “utilizes the information in your palm to create a unique palm signature that is recognized every time you use it.”
Concerns have been raised by technology experts about Amazon’s collection of such data. Amazon clarified that customers’ information is not stored on an Amazon One device and is always protected, both while at rest and in transit. The company treats palm signatures as highly sensitive personal data.
Whole Foods is one of 400 locations utilizing Amazon One technology. Other locations include Panera Bread, Coors Field in Colorado, airport travel retailers, sports and entertainment venues.
Amazon acquired Whole Foods in a $13.7 billion deal in 2017.
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