Major retailers in Thailand and China are teaming up to offer their customers a new way to pay. They’re asking people to put away their wallets and shop by simply showing their face.
The system is set to launch in Thailand by the end of the year. A customer first registers images of their face online. Then at checkout, a camera scans their face and cross-references it with a database, automatically taking money from their bank account if it matches.
“It’s so easy,” Rungruang Sukkirdkijpiboon, CEO of Central JD Fintech, says. “We don’t have to carry cash. We use personal identity, so the issue of stealing will disappear.”
The move comes as a growing list of companies offer electronic payments in Thailand including Chinese online retailer Alibaba and Japanese messaging app service LINE.
Online critics, however, brought up concerns of privacy and the potential ability to track location and buying habits of consumers.
The video shows a trial retailer in China demonstrating the technology.
