Panera Bread Is Testing a Sci-Fi-Esque Amazon Payment System — and Privacy Concerns AboundThe tech's already been pulled from one major Colorado venue after pushback.
ByAmanda Breen•
The checkout counter's taking a futuristic turn at two St. LouisPaneras.
The bakery-cafe chain is testing palm-scanningAmazonOne tech, which has already been utilized in dozens of Amazon-ownedWhole Foodslocations, Amazon Go stores and select stadiums and arenas, to provide customers with a quicker way to connect to their loyalty program and pay,CNBCreported.
Related:Amazon One Lets You Pay With The Palm of Your Hand
It's not the first time the chain, which boasts more than 2,000 locations and upwards of 52 million loyalty program members, has relied on technology to streamline its operations.
By 2017, after six years of experimentation,Panerawas an early adopter of online ordering and saw great success, earning it a reputation as one of the "most technologically savvy" chains in the industry,The Wall Street Journalreported.
Amazon One positions palm scanners near the restaurant's registers; to check out with them, customers must link theirPaneraloyalty program accounts to Amazon One (at home or in-restaurant) and switch on loyalty identification and payments for their accounts, per CNN.
"We think the payment plus loyalty identification is the secret sauce that can unlock a really personalized, warm and efficient experience for our guests in our cafes," Panera chief digital officer George Hanson told the outlet.
Related:亚马逊将革命的天然食品With Technology That Could Make More Than 3 Million Jobs Obsolete
Naturally, Amazon One's use ofbiometricshas raised privacy concerns. Security experts say that even palm scans can pose a threat because the collected data is stored in a cloud, perThe Washington Post.
亚马逊声称,手掌图像加密and transferred to a secure, "custom-built area" in the cloud, but the questions have already led to real pushback: Last March, Red Rocks Amphitheater in Coloradopulled Amazon Onefrom its venue at the urging of privacy groups.
