Poland is set to serve as the European testing ground for a new biometric checkout program from Mastercard, which incorporates both facial and iris recognition technology.
As part of the pilot, shoppers will be able to make payments simply by glancing at designated terminals in five selected stores of the Empik book and media chain. Mastercard is partnering with local fintech PayEye and technology provider Planet Pay for this trial.
To participate in the PayEye system, merchants must equip their locations with a specialized eyepos terminal. This technology requires precise calibration to prevent accidental activations when a customer looks at the terminal.
Marta Życińska, general manager of Mastercard Europe’s Polish branch, stated: “The pilot we initiate today with Empik and PayEye confirms Mastercard’s commitment to local technology development and supporting the Polish electronic payments market. We believe that biometrics can deliver the best-in-class experiences for consumers, combining convenience with security, and we look forward to scaling our program in Poland.”
Mastercard originally introduced its biometric checkout program in June 2022 and has since launched various biometric payment pilots across the Asia Pacific and Latin America regions.