Trading Privacy for Convenience: Starbucks’ Biometric Experiment With Palm Payments in Washington Town

Starbucks has launched a trial of Amazon’s palm payment system Amazon One in a community north of Seattle, Washington. The coffee chain has already tried Amazon Go at concept stores built in partnership with Amazon in the city of New York.

The new trial will take place in a waterfront community north of Seattle called Edmonds. Starbucks appears to be testing if older people, who are more resistant to new technologies, will welcome the idea of biometrics payments, The Spoon reported.

Reception of the technology has been mixed, with attendants reporting that older people are more skeptical of the technology.

“They’re kind of freaked out by it,” an in-store attendant told Forbes. “It’s an older town, so some people aren’t interested.”

Starbucks is not yet forcing people to use Amazon One. Other payment options are still available.

Those interested in using the system are required to register their palm at an in-store kiosk. From there they can use the contactless payment system at stores with Amazon One.