Amazon One launches hover your hand to pay app, here’s how it works

Scan your hand to pay: Amazon has introduced the Amazon One app that allows users to sign up for Amazon One, the company's palm recognition service without the need to visit Amazon stores with palm verification devices. 

Amazon One scanner | Image credit: Amazon

Previously, customers had to physically visit a designated location and hover their palm over a device to register. However, with the introduction of the Amazon One app, this process has been simplified to the point where users can now sign up from their own homes, workplaces, or even while on the move. 

The app, which is available for download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, eliminates the need for first-time users to undergo the registration process during checkout, thereby streamlining the overall experience. 

What is Amazon One? 

Amazon One is a palm recognition service introduced by Amazon that allows customers to conveniently and securely authenticate themselves for various purposes such as entry, identification, payment, age verification, and loyalty rewards. With Amazon One, users can link their palm to their Amazon account and use it as a means of identification and payment at participating locations.

Image credit: Amazon

The system works by capturing the unique palm signature of an individual, which includes both the palm's surface features and its underlying vein pattern. This information is then converted into a numerical vector representation, which is used for identity matching. 

Amazon One uses advanced AI technology, including generative AI for creating synthetic palm images and machine learning models for accurate matching. 

How to use Amazon One’s hover-to-pay feature? 

Amazon One has already been used over 8 million times, with 80 per cent of shoppers opting to use the service repeatedly. If you are someone who has access to Amazon’s Whole Foods Market Stores and other Amazon Stores, you can also avail of the hover-to-pay feature by following the steps mentioned below. 

• Download the Amazon One app or visit a designated enrollment location.
• Provide the necessary information and link your Amazon account, if applicable.
• Place your hand over the Amazon One device as instructed.
• When prompted, hover your palm over an Amazon One device. 
• Decide when and where to use your palm for authentication.
• Now make the required changes in privacy settings.
• Use your palm for seamless transactions at any Amazon One-enabled location. 

By adding payment methods to your Amazon One account, one can access the service across a network of over 500 Whole Foods Market stores, numerous Amazon stores, and more than 150 third-party locations such as stadiums, airports, and convenience stores in the United States. 

Is Amazon One safe?

Amazon One employs several security measures to ensure the protection of customer data and privacy. The system uses advanced AI technology to create synthetic palm images and match them with near-infrared imagery captured by Amazon One devices that ensures accurate identification. 

Image credit: Amazon

Palm images taken via the Amazon One app are encrypted and stored securely in the AWS cloud, preventing unauthorised access. 

In the official documentation, Amazon writes, “Amazon One device is protected by multiple security controls and palm images are never stored on the Amazon One device. Rather, the images are encrypted and sent to a highly secure area we custom-built in the cloud where we create your palm signature.” 

Apart from these abovementioned features, the Amazon One app also has spoof detection measures to detect fake attempts at authentication. To maintain privacy and data security, Amazon One ensures that palm images cannot be downloaded or saved to users' devices which can be compromised in case of a personal data breach.