After first teasing the service last May, Google is extending their Hands Free payment to South Bay inhabitants near San Francisco and limited restaurants including McDonalds and Papa John's. The app, which is compatible with both Android and iOS devices, enables people to forego the tap and pay method by letting you pay with your face or by saying your initials out loud.
Biometric payment systems are not new, but Hands Free by Google allows you to securely pay without lifting a finger (or finger print). Technology such as Bluetooth low energy, location services, wifi and other smartphone sensors make it possible to pay in-store without having to dig around for your wallet or cards. You can simply tell the cashier "I'll pay with Google" and they will be able to confirm your identity based on your profile picture and initials.
No-Hands Payment Services
Google's Hands Free Payment Lets You Pay Without Tapping a Card
Trend Themes
1. Biometric Payment Systems - Hands Free by Google utilizes biometric technology like facial recognition to enable a completely hands-free payment experience.
2. Contactless Payment - Google's Hands Free payment method represents a shift towards increasingly contactless payment methods, reducing the need to physically interact with payment terminals.
3. Voice-activated Payments - Hands Free by Google's voice-activated payment feature offers a new opportunity for businesses to capture customer payments through voice recognition technology.
Industry Implications
1. Fast Food - The adoption of Hands Free payment by businesses like McDonald's and Papa John's presents an opportunity for fast food chains to improve customer experience with quicker and more convenient payment methods.
2. Retail - As contactless payment options become increasingly popular, retailers can gain an advantage by implementing innovative solutions like Hands Free by Google that eliminate the need for physical payment methods altogether.
3. Mobile Payment - Hands Free by Google represents a new trend in mobile payment options, requiring no card or mobile device interaction, paving the way for even more innovative disruption in the mobile payment industry.