The fast food chain Panera Bread is testing technology from Amazon that can read people’s palms and let them pay for their food and join the chain’s loyalty program.
Two of the bakery-2100 café’s locations are testing the Amazon One technology, and more will follow in the coming months.
Customers who sign up for Amazon One and link their MyPanera account can make payments and use the 52 million-member MyPanera loyalty program by hovering their hand over the Amazon One device.
Amazon says that its technology solves a big problem for the restaurant and retail industries: customers sometimes skip loyalty programs because they’d rather just buy what they need and leave than sign up and get their rewards.
In the same way, customers often have to open a sub-menu in a mobile app, find email vouchers, or remember to bring physical coupons in order to redeem their rewards, all of which take time and are inconvenient.
The CEO of Panera Bread, Niren Chaudhary, says:
“Amazon One is a great option for guests who want a quick and convenient way to sign up for our MyPanera loyalty program, redeem their rewards, and pay for their order with a simple hover of their palm over the Amazon One Device—all while enjoying a highly personalized in-store experience.”
