By End of 2025, Whole Foods Shoppers Across the US Will Be Able to Pay Using Palm Recognition

Back in 2023, Whole Foods Market announced plans to introduce palm recognition technology as a new payment method. Now, in 2025, shoppers across the United States can use this system, marking a shift towards a faster and more convenient checkout experience.

In a blog post from July 2023, Amazon stated its intention to increase the number of Whole Foods locations nationwide, offering Amazon One palm recognition for payments. This expansion was estimated to grow the availability of this hand-scanning payment method from over 200 stores to 500.

According to Amazon's statement in 2023, introducing this technology to the remaining grocery stores was planned to occur before the end of that year. Established over forty years ago, Whole Foods became part of Amazon in 2017 in a purchase that saw the tech giant invest roughly £10.59 billion ($13.7 billion), according to a report by Goldman Sachs.

Today, Amazon reports that Amazon One is available in over 400 locations across the U.S. These sites, including select Panera Bread restaurants, airport shops, sports arenas, and various other places, have recorded more than 3 million uses of the palm recognition technology.

How Amazon Handles Palm Recognition Data

Amazon has stated unequivocally that it 'will never share palm data with third parties, under any circumstances, including in response to government demands, unless we're required to comply with a legally valid and binding order.'

The company also affirmed that it does not use or trade this data, which is secured using the AWS Cloud, for advertising purposes. This move to broaden the availability of Amazon One at Whole Foods came over two years after the technology was first introduced. Its initial rollout began with Amazon Go convenience stores.

'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,' Whole Foods Market Chief Technology Officer Leandro Balbinot said in the blog post.

Paying With Your Palm At Whole Foods

A quick online sign-up is available for those using Amazon One for the first time. Customers can register their credit or debit card, Amazon account, and phone number in about a minute.

After the online setup, individuals can finalise their registration in moments by holding their palm over an Amazon One reader during their next visit to a Whole Foods Market that offers the service—or any other location where Amazon One is an option.

Once registration is complete, Amazon Prime subscribers will automatically receive discounts and other Prime perks on their Whole Foods Market purchases. Alternatively, shoppers can use their credit card and phone number to sign up for Amazon One directly at an in-store Amazon One device.

A Swift, Handy, And Safe Choice For Businesses

Amazon One assists companies in speeding up their identification and payment procedures, allows customers to connect with and use their rewards programs easily, confirms age, and offers protected entry to places like sports arenas, entertainment centers, and office buildings.

Amazon One has teamed up with American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa, and numerous large banks throughout the U.S. This collaboration allows cardholders to utilise Amazon One and experience the advantages of quick and easy identification and payment.

Furthermore, unlike a credit card or a password, an Amazon One palm scan cannot be copied to represent a customer falsely. This is because Amazon One doesn't use actual pictures of the palm to identify someone. Instead, it examines both the surface of the palm and the vein patterns beneath to generate a distinct digital code—referred to as a 'palm signature'—for verifying identity.

Moreover, the data from customer palm scans is kept secure within the AWS Cloud. AWS benefits from over 300 cloud security features and a global network of 100,000 security collaborators. Additionally, Amazon One incorporates several security measures and features that detect tampering, making the device unusable if any unauthorised changes are attempted.