Revolut has announced the launch of a new facial recognition payment trial in the United Kingdom, marking what the fintech company describes as the first in-store system of its kind in the region. The initiative, known as ‘Pay with Smile,’ is currently available at a limited number of Kiss the Hippo coffee locations in London and will operate with no processing fees for merchants.
The technology runs on Revolut Register, a dual-screen point-of-sale (POS) hardware solution designed to integrate banking, payments, and floor operations for hospitality businesses. Once customers enroll in the service, the system verifies their identity by comparing biometric data against selfies captured during the sign-up process.
Alex Codina, representing Revolut, stated that the company aims to replace fragmented checkout systems with a more efficient experience that addresses pain points for both consumers and merchants. To address privacy concerns, Revolut confirmed that all personal data is processed entirely within its proprietary environment and is not shared externally. Additionally, the facial ’embeddings’ used to finalize transactions are deleted immediately after a sale is confirmed and are not retained by the merchants.
While facial recognition payments are not a novel concept—Alipay introduced ‘Smile to Pay’ in 2017 and Tencent launched ‘Frog Pro’ in 2019—these systems have largely remained confined to China. Revolut’s entry into the market comes amid widespread public skepticism regarding facial recognition technology.
UK-based Revolut customers can sign up for the trial between now and September 26th at participating cafes in Bloomsbury, Chelsea, and Soho.
Weirdly convenient, but I’m skeptical about data retention promises. Once it’s digitized, can you really trust deletion?
How does it handle people wearing masks or heavy glasses? Feels like it’ll cause delays during rush hour.
I’d rather swipe my card than hand over my biometric data to a coffee shop. Huge privacy concerns here.
Finally, a genuinely contactless checkout. No apps, no cards, just a smile. This is the future.