Amazon unveils pay-by-palm technology at some Whole Foods stores

Amazon One lets shoppers scan the palms of their hands and connect that to credit cards or Amazon accounts, but privacy experts warn such biometric data could be hacked and stolen.

Amazon is rolling out pay-by-palm technology at some Whole Foods grocery stores near its United States headquarters to make paying quicker and more convenient. The technology, called Amazon One, lets shoppers scan the palms of their hands and connect that to credit cards or Amazon accounts. After the initial setup, which Amazon says takes less than a minute, shoppers can scan their hands at the register to pay for groceries without having to open their wallets. Amazon first launched the technology late last year and at the time said it could be used at stadiums, office buildings and other retailers. So far, Amazon hasn’t announced any takers. It has been put into use in several of its cashier-less stores and Amazon said it has signed up thousands of users, but didn’t provide a specific number.