Pay for pastries with your palm.
Amazon One launched in 2020 as a new contactless payment system, allowing users to swipe their palms to pay for goods. Now, after slowly expanding to more regions and retailers, the tech is teaming up with Panera Bread Cafes.
Yes, instead of whipping out a credit card or phone, all you have to do is hold out your hand and let the Amazon One payment terminal take a palm reading. Panera Bread is the first national restaurant to let patrons use their palm for payments, and it’ll work with MyPanera loyalty points.
For those unaware, the system works similarly to other biometric readings, like a fingerprint, while Amazon claims it’s less of a security concern than facial recognition. During the launch in 2020, Amazon said a “palm signature” considers your palm’s unique shape, size, and texture, and no two palms are alike.
Panera, the fast-casual restaurant chain known for its pricey soups, salads, sandwiches, and freshly baked pastries, operates over 2,100 locations throughout the United States. To enjoy the feature, users can link their MyPanera to Amazon One, and you’re all set to enjoy a lovely brunch.
According to Panera, Amazon One will make the order and food delivery process more personal. That’s because a Panera associate will be able to welcome customers by name and “provide a highly personalized experience.” More importantly, you can use your palm to make payments, track loyalty points, or both.
Unfortunately, the new palm-reading payments are only available at two Panera bakery cafes in the St. Louis area, but additional locations will get on board in the coming months. If you’re okay with giving Amazon a scan of your palm, you can sign up today and be ready once your Panera gets the feature.
Source: Amazon
