Alipay Tests New Smile to Pay Technology in China

With online payment platform Alipay, you can now pay for a KFC meal in China just by smiling.

Alipay has launched a new facial recognition payment system at a KFC restaurant in China, where customers can smile to pay.

Created by Alibaba subsidiary, Ant Financial, the facial recognition technology takes two seconds to scan a customer’s face.

It makes use of a 3D camera and “live-ness detection algorithm” to combat fraud. In addition, customers must also input their handphone number as a second form of authentication.

This new payment system is demonstrated in the video above.

It shows the machine accurately recognizing the facial features of a young woman. The machine is smart enough to recognize her even as she puts on different appearances, which includes different makeup styles and wigs.

As we move towards cashless transactions, smile to pay might be the next big thing in a city near you.

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