Payface lands new retail biometric payments deal in Brazil

Brazilian face biometrics payments startup Payface has clinched a deal with supermarket chain Ítalo.

Ítalo Supermercados, based in the southern Brazilian state of Paraná, plans to offer facial recognition payments to its customers in the city of Curitiba first, rolling out the service to other cities at a later date. The system will identify customers who are part of the Ítalo Clube benefit program, allowing them to use their benefits and discounts without additional identification.

“We believe that this technology will speed up the payment process, reduce queues and provide greater convenience to our customers,” says Edy João Dal Berto, CEO of Grupo Ítalo.

Boosted by investment from bank BT Pactual and VC firms HiPartners Capital & Work and OasisVentures, Payface has plans to bring its payment system across retail stores in Latin America. The system, which relies on passive liveness detection provided by ID R&D, allows customers to simply swipe their faces instead of pulling out cards or devices.

In 2022, the company helped Mastercard launch its Biometric Checkout Program by offering ‘pay by smile’ technology at five São Paulo supermarkets. The following year, it closed a deal to acquire rival facial recognition firm SmileGo which specializes in onboarding and payment cards.

Article Topics

biometric payments  |  Brazil  |  face biometrics  |  facial authentication  |  passive facial liveness  |  Payface  |  retail biometrics