16 Aug The “Amazon Era”: How to Shop Without Going Through the Checkout or Paying by Hand

• Jeff Bezos’ company is constantly working to develop and implement technologies that make life easier for its users and revolutionize the world
• From physical stores where you leave “without paying”, to technology to make the payment with the palm of your hand. Amazon is now much more than a platform where you can buy products.

Since Amazon broke into the e-commerce business, nothing has ever been the same. The marketplace has changed our consumption habits, the way in which human beings buy and even interact with technology.

This fact has more implications than you might think at first glance, since it has meant a change of mentality in society, making these advantages come to be considered normal and promoting the development and innovation of new technologies that simplify the day-to-day life of users. All this makes Amazon not only the largest marketplace in the world, but also a global technological benchmark.

Here’s what two of its latest revolutions look like: Amazon Go and Amazon One.

Amazon One: Pay, Sign, and Sign in with the Palm of Your Hand

This revolutionary identification system literally puts the world in your hands. It was introduced in mid-2020 but has now become operational.

This technology recognises the palm of the hand, scanning both superficially its shape, wrinkles and lines; as well as the branching of veins and capillaries. In this way, a kind of biometric “digital signature” is obtained that the user can use even without an Amazon account, since it is only associated with a credit card and a phone number.

It has currently come into operation as a payment method in 65 Whole Foods stores in California, but the Seattle company intends for its applications to extend far beyond payments, being able to be used as a method of access to private premises or official identification. Therefore, as Dilip Kumar pointed out, they plan to “offer the service to third parties, such as other retail stores, stadiums and office buildings so that more people can benefit from its ease.”

Safety as well as speed and convenience

Over the last few years, society has become increasingly familiar with biometric security systems, but why the palm of the hand and not the fingerprint or face? As reported by Amazon, it is due to the security and privacy policy.

First of all, palm recognition is considered to offer extra privacy compared to other biometric alternatives such as facial recognition, since it is impossible to identify a person through an image of their hand.

On the other hand, having to make an intentional gesture by placing the palm of the hand on the recognition device entails a much more obvious express consent than in other systems. This allows customers to have greater control over when and where they use this service. In addition, something that is also important and even more so after the pandemic is that it is a completely contactless technology, which provides a plus of hygienic safety by not having to touch any device during the process.

And finally, Amazon One’s scanning devices are protected with multiple security checks. In addition, the images of the scanned hands are never stored on the devices, but are encrypted and sent to an extremely secure area in the cloud.

Amazon Go: the supermarket where you “leave without paying”

It is a supermarket model without checkouts or cashiers and has been designed to put an end to the tedious task of queuing to pay. Inside these establishments, all you have to do is grab the products you want from the shelves and leave.

All stores of this type have a very powerful technology based on a large number of cameras and sensors that identify the customer from the moment they enter the establishment with their Amazon account code. Subsequently, the system is responsible for keeping it located throughout the store and recognizing, with great precision and accuracy, those products that it selects. Once you’ve finalized your purchase, you don’t have to go through the checkout, just walk out of the store and you’re automatically charged for your basket.

One of the curiosities of this business model is that the figure of the cashier is eliminated, since the ticket is made directly by the system. Despite this, the rest of the store is maintained thanks to human work, which consists of replenishing, ordering and placing the products in their respective places, as well as helping customers and offering them a good shopping experience.

This model is already available in the United States and the United Kingdom, where it has several stores in London, and is scheduled to land in Spain throughout 2024.

Conclusion

Amazon, with the implementation of new technologies, has had a strong impact on the technological revolution and on the consumption habits of citizens, both in their shopping experience and in their demands. The e-commerce giant seeks to simplify the user’s tasks to meet their needs and turn their daily tasks into unique experiences with a tendency to repetition.