Face biometrics tested for payments in Moscow Metro, banking in Japan

The Moscow Metro transport system has begun testing its Face Pay biometric fare payment service with 1,000 users to provide convenient and contactless transactions, just as a new partnership has been formed in Japan to use Panasonic’s face biometrics for banking.

The face biometric technology used in the Moscow Metro system is provided by VisionLabs, NtechLab and Tevian, according to Finextra. NtechLab is also supplying biometrics and video surveillance analytics to Moscow’s above-ground public camera system, and the city has purchased licenses for biometric algorithms from VisionLabs and Tevian as well.

The new Metro payment service is being trialled on the Filevskaya metro line, with turnstiles supporting face biometric scans marked with a round black floor sticker, and funds transferred directly from the passenger’s bank card. Use of the scheme is optional for trial participants, and the operator has launched a webpage with instructions on how to sign up for and use the system.

Users upload a selfie for biometric enrollment, and look into turnstile cameras as they approach the gate for identity verification.

Metro employees have already completed more than a million transactions using the biometric access control system.

The technology will continue its roll out gradually, says Moscow’s Deputy Mayor for Transport Maxim Liksutov in the announcement, as translated by Google.

Panasonic in face biometric payments partnership

A cooperative deal has been reached between four Japanese companies to develop and implement a payment platform based on facial recognition, The Japan Times writes.

Banking group Resona Holdings, credit card issuer JCB Co., Dai Nippon Printing Co. and Panasonic have agreed to work together on a platform customers can use to deposit, withdraw or transfer funds at banks with biometrics, presumably using Panasonic FacePRO. The system could launch in April 2022.

If successful, the platform could eventually be used for biometric check-ins to hotels, retail payments and access control at event venues. The partners will seek participants from different sectors.

The system will match the face biometrics of users against a database on a common server without requiring the user to carry a bank card. Testing will begin among employees at Resona headquarters. Cameras will be deployed to facilities where the system is implemented to capture the facial images of users.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  contactless biometrics  |  facial recognition  |  financial services  |  Japan  |  NTechlab  |  Panasonic  |  payments  |  Russia  |  transportation  |  VisionLabs