Amazon bringing revolutionary payment technology to all Whole Foods stores

David Zimmermann

July 20, 02:20 PM July 20, 02:21 PM

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By the end of the year, Amazon will let Whole Foods customers buy groceries using their unique palm signatures.

The e-commerce company announced Thursday it is bringing contactless, palm-scanning technology called Amazon One to all Whole Foods stores in the United States. The Amazon One devices will scan customers’ hovering hands at checkout in place of traditional payment methods, such as a card or phone.

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“Amazon One uses the information embedded in your palm to create a unique palm signature that it can read each and every time you use it,” the payment service’s website reads.

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“We are always looking for new ways to delight our customers and improve the shopping experience,” said Leandro Balbinot, chief technology officer at Whole Foods Market.

Amazon One, originally launched in 2021, is currently used in more than 200 Whole Foods stores across the nation as well as select Panera Bread locations, airport travel retailers, and sports/entertainment venues, according to Amazon’s news release.

“Since we’ve introduced Amazon One at Whole Foods Market stores over the past two years, we’ve seen that customers love the convenience it provides, and we’re excited to bring Amazon One to all of our customers across the U.S.,” Balbinot said.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy also touted the revolutionary technology as “a pretty great experience” for shoppers.

However, others have not been as enthusiastic about the new way to pay. Russell Brand, for example, criticized the Amazon One system last year, saying it will end “the concept of liberty” if implemented.

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The palm recognition technology will be available for all customers, although Prime members will receive exclusive savings for linking their Amazon One profiles to their Prime memberships.

Whole Foods, which is owned by Amazon, has over 500 locations in the U.S.