Amazon One to Allow You Scan Your Palm for Payments

Amazon palm recognition service, already used at Whole Foods and other locations, can now be set up directly from your phone. 

The new Amazon One app, available for iOS and Android, allows you to snap a photo of your palm and link it to your Amazon account. 

Once enrolled, you can ditch the lines and pay by palm scan at any participating store or venue. 

Amazon One is currently accepted at all US Whole Foods, select Panera Bread locations, and over 150 stadiums, airports, gyms, and convenience stores. 

Here's how it works: Amazon One uses fancy AI technology to analyze the unique vein patterns in your palm. 

This creates a "vector representation" that identifies you when you scan your hand at a checkout. 

For mobile enrollment, the app uses AI to match your phone camera photo with the "near-infrared imagery" captured by an Amazon One device in-store. 

For added functionality, you can link payment methods, loyalty programs, and even season passes or gym memberships to the app. If you plan to use Amazon One for age verification (say, buying a rated video game), you'll need to upload a photo ID as well. 

Now, about those privacy concerns. Some folks (myself included) are a bit hesitant to hand over their palm print for the sake of convenience. Unlike a password, you can't exactly reset your palm if something goes wrong. 

Amazon tries to address these concerns by stating that uploaded palm images are encrypted and stored in a secure cloud domain within Amazon Web Services. 

They also claim the app uses "spoof detection" to prevent unauthorized access and that palm images cannot be saved to your phone. 

While these assurances might be comforting to some, others will likely remain cautious. Only time will tell if the convenience factor of palm payments outweighs privacy anxieties for the majority of users.