PopID brings face biometrics to automated restaurants for fast, contactless payments

Automated pizzeria-maker Piestro has partnered with PopID for an easier, safer and faster face biometrics-based payment solution for artisanal pizza lovers.

The partnership coincides with Piestro’s second fundraising campaign on online crowdfunding platform StartEngine, and enables its customers make payments with facial recognition either at its automated pizzeria locations or on their smartphones via PopID’s PopPay.

Piestro is valuated at $12 million, according to the crowdfunding page, and has already raised more than a million dollars to tap more into the intelligent automation industry experience and the $46.3 billion U.S. pizza market. The company’s leadership is made up of experienced executives in the food automation space, and the company is backed by lead investor Wavemaker Partners.

PopID’s face biometrics will integrate Piestro’s low-touch automation to bring in a number of benefits for the latter’s customers.

The deal comes within a context of the growing demand for contactless payment transactions and easily available food options for reasons of health safety as a result of the pandemic, according to the announcement.

With the partnership, customers are able to make on-site contactless ordering and payment as they can use the now PopID-compatible Piestro machines to view menus, place orders and complete biometric payments using the same screen.

Customers can also perform confirmation in the case of pre-orders for menus, and order and make app payments by using PopID as a payment method on Piestro’s app for placing pre-orders for pickup. Operators can also integrate PopID in their own branded Piestro machines.

Massimo De Marco, Piestro CEO, said the partnership with PopID provides a reliable and safe platform for customers to pay for their pizzas and to speed up the entire process.

“We want our customers to experience our deliciously crafted pizzas as quickly as possible, without sacrificing the quality of the product or their health and safety. PopID does that, and we are excited to partner with them to give customers the payment experience they deserve,” said De Marco.

“PopID is the go-to universal gateway for contactless payment applications and will enable Piestro to offer an innovative user experience that exceeds customer expectations,” said Cali Group Chairman John Miller. “We are thrilled to enter into a partnership that will get pizza lovers their favorite creation faster – all they need is their face to pay.”

PopID has been steadily carrying out expansion plans for its biometrics-based payment solution in the United States.

Article Topics

automation  |  biometric payments  |  biometrics  |  contactless biometrics  |  facial recognition  |  identity verification  |  PopID  |  retail biometrics  |  secure transactions