Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Amazon One palm authentication discontinued

amazonone.aws.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

131–140 of 188 posts

Re: Amazon One palm authentication discontinued

#131

Post by llsf »

crazygringo wrote: post #32
alex_young wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think “just” is doing a lot of work here. Steps I remember: 1. Put down everything so you have 2 free hands. 2. Mention that it will take a minute to the cashier. 3. Unlock your phone. 4. Find the Amazon app (this part is odd, you’re at Whole Foods). 5. Dig around in the UI for the store code. They move it around. 6. Present your phone to the cashier to scan.

1. I've already put down the groceries I was carrying, so the cashier can scan them. I have free hands. 2. The cashier is busy scanning, you don't need to mention anything. 3. FaceID unlocks it automatically. 4. What Amazon app? I use the Whole Foods app. I keep it easily accessible, I don't need to find it. 5. The code is always displayed by default when you open the app. You never have to dig around anything. 6. Or…

I get it, but you realize that the OP just waved one hand and was done (with paying, getting his discounts and points, etc.).

When we have to reach for the phone, unlock it (with biometric), tap to open the Whole Foods app, and then present the phone to scan a QR code.

While it might be not much more, it is more than just show one hand.

Re: Amazon One palm authentication discontinued

#132

Post by llsf »

awakeasleep wrote: post #78
jzimbel wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you have an iOS phone you can create a shortcut on your home screen that jumps directly to the code in the Amazon app. Whole Foods app may have the Shortcuts integration too, but I use the Amazon app. The code both applies your Prime membership and links your preferred payment method.

I believe it’s even quicker to ask Siri to open the Whole Foods app. You don’t need to touch anything and Face ID will unlock the phone while you’re talking.

But you all realize that the OP did not even have to reach for his phone. He just waved his hand to get his Prime discounts, pay and get his rewards.

I get that it is fairly easy to use the app on the phone (although my WF has terrible reception, which is frustrating enough when I come to pick up packages), but waving your hand would still be faster.

Re: Amazon One palm authentication discontinued

#133

Post by bastawhiz »

I've always wondered what the play was with these. I can tap my card. I can tap my phone. I never leave home without either of those. I can't use Amazon One online, it's purely a retail thing. I need the thing it's replacing in order to onboard. So... Why?

If this came around on 2010, it would have been a hit. Maybe even 2015. Now, it's simply redundant, or something more nefarious (but I can't imagine how).

Re: Amazon One palm authentication discontinued

#134

Post by bastawhiz »

nickorlow wrote: post #66
Helithumper wrote: post #57

I found the palm payment at Whole Foods to be very convenient for the same reason as others in this thread. The steps without using Amazon One were * open the amazon app * open the checkout thing * click the QR code button * click the amazon QR code * Scan it * Open Apple Wallet * Pay I hope that they will at least add the amazon QR code to apple wallet to make payment faster in store. That or something to make payme…

Can they not just associate your debit/credit card w/ your account?

They have that option in the whole foods app

Re: Amazon One palm authentication discontinued

#135

Post by llsf »

adastra22 wrote: post #11
crazygringo wrote: post #8

I didn't even know this was available to other businesses -- I've only ever seen it at Whole Foods. Curious if they're keeping it at Whole Foods or discontinuing the hardware altogether? Can't say I've ever once seen someone actually use it to pay there.

I literally just signed up for this. Guess I have the killing touch. I don’t see the point though. It is a payment solution in search of a problem. It is a nice bonus first party payment solution at Whole Foods though.

Well, that is not just a payment solution. It can be linked to other things, and primarily to your Prime account, but it could be linked to other loyalty programs too.

So when you wave your hand, you get your Prime discounts, you pay and you get your points. Just by waving your hand. No need to reach for a phone, an app, a card, scan a QR code, etc.

The tech had some advantages. I used it every time at WF. I liked it.

Re: Amazon One palm authentication discontinued

#136

Post by llsf »

davidmurphy wrote: post #67
Helithumper wrote: post #57

I found the palm payment at Whole Foods to be very convenient for the same reason as others in this thread. The steps without using Amazon One were * open the amazon app * open the checkout thing * click the QR code button * click the amazon QR code * Scan it * Open Apple Wallet * Pay I hope that they will at least add the amazon QR code to apple wallet to make payment faster in store. That or something to make payme…

download the Whole Foods app. It solely exists to display the QR code on startup.

But like OP mentioned, you need to reach for your phone, open it, open the app, show the QR code to scan it.

As opposed to just wave your hand, to get your discounts, pay and get your points.

Re: Amazon One palm authentication discontinued

#137

Post by llsf »

dfajgljsldkjag wrote: post #52

These were neat to use at whole foods but I never saw them anywhere else. I guess Amazon just didn't really have much penetration in payment terminals in general. Maybe a deal with clover or toast could have changed things.

I agree. And being Amazon might have created some reluctance for other retailers to adopt the technology.

I wish Amazon could sell the tech to someone more neutral and have it deployed more broadly.

Re: Amazon One palm authentication discontinued

#138

Post by jcrawfordor »

llsf wrote: post #124
toephu2 wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What problem was it solving though? NFC contactless payments is already pretty fast and convenient. I feel like Amazon One Palm was invented to solve for a problem we didn't really have. Thus the failure.

The fact that you do not have to pull a card or even your phone could make the transaction faster. And it would link to my Prime account so I could get my discounts/points. All with just me showing my palm. Using your palm print (and actually blood vessels network) could be also more secure than tapping a card (NFC contactless). I enjoyed using the technology. I did test other biometric payments like with face at the…

I don't know that there is much technology to sell, palm vein imaging is decades old in the access control industry. The reason you don't see it anywhere is because it was already a commercial failure in that application, by the end of the 1990s.

Amazon was even trying to sell the technology for access control applications, but their sales material were remarkably devoid of any reason to choose it over other biometrics.

Re: Amazon One palm authentication discontinued

#139

Post by llsf »

bokohut wrote: post #103

Yet again another failed attempt to move to biometric identification linked to a payment instrument thus allowing one not to need to carry that payment method on person. This is not the worlds first biometric payments failure, as that belongs to PayByTouch, nor will it be the last. Having been deeply involved in the technology systems around the worlds first attempt at PayByTouch I do wonder why the "easy" is not emb…

I guess the "biometric identification linked to a payment instrument" issue is mostly trust.

Do I trust the entity that identify me using biometrics ?

Do I trust it with my biometric data ?

If I link a payment method, do I trust it with access to my payment details ?

With Amazon Go at WF, I was fine to let Amazon know and store my hand biometrics, and I was fine enough with Amazon know what I purchase at WF, as long as I had something back (loyalty program).

Scaling this though would negatively impact the trust. Maybe I do not want Amazon to know "everything" I purchase everywhere (even though Visa/MC/Amex already know it...)

Re: Amazon One palm authentication discontinued

#140

Post by llsf »

yalogin wrote: post #97

This was a terrible idea to begin with and am glad it’s discontinued. Hope they delete the biometric data securely.

I do not think they store any biometric data, they just compute a key out of the image. So, those keys are useless. Very difficult to create a fake living hand with all the living blood vessels with just a key.
Post reply on HN