Lotte Duty Free pioneers palm biometric payments in Korean airport

Lotte Duty Free has officially launched a palm vein biometric payment service at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul, South Korea. The company claims it is the first of its kind in a duty-free branch.  

Korean customers can now purchase duty-free goods by entering their mobile phone number and authenticating their palm vein biometrics. This removes the need to present a passport or boarding pass, which is customary for duty-free purchases, or even a payment card. 

Once customers register their palm vein biometrics at a kiosk in Gimpo International Airport, Lotte Duty Free uses this data to verify their identity and obtain boarding information to facilitate the purchase. The Lotte HandPay system incorporates Fujitsu’s PalmSecure palm vein authentication technology and Lord System’s mobile passport technology. 

Payment cards can be registered via the Korea Airports Corporation (KAC) app “Smart Airport.” Lotte Duty Free and KAC expect reduced waiting times for payments due to this streamlined process. “We expect the introduction of this biometric identification and payment service to significantly improve the shopping experience for our customers at Gimpo Airport,” said a Lotte Duty Free representative, via DFNI Frontier. 

To mark the launch of the palm vein biometric payment service, Lotte Duty Free is offering a 5,000 Korean won ($3.60) discount to customers who spend US$100 or more at its Gimpo International Airport branch until September 30. 

Based on customer feedback, the company plans to expand the palm vein biometric payment service to Gimhae International Airport as well, which is also known as Busan Airport.

Lotte Duty Free also operates shops in Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and Australia. 

Palm vein biometric payments are growing. Palm biometric payments have been implemented in the capital of Uzbekistan for the subway system, and will increasingly play a role in payments worldwide with support from major players such as Visa, Tencent, Mastercard, and Amazon among others. 

A supermarket chain in Paris implemented a palm vein biometric payment terminal provided by Ingenico. The system was similar to the one launched by Tienda Inglesa’s Red Expres stores in Uruguay by Mastercard’s Biometric Checkout Program. Ingenico is also a Mastercard partner.

Jean-Marc Thienpont, global head of omnichannel and biometrics for J.P. Morgan Payments, referred to palm-based biometrics as a “crucial component” for the company’s overall biometrics strategy. JPM announced earlier this year the release of two new proprietary biometric payments terminals for retail, restaurant and entertainment applications. The Paypad is an eight-inch display and scanner that facilitates touchless transactions through biometric infrared palm vein and facial recognition technology.

Article Topics

biometric payments  |  biometrics  |  contactless biometrics  |  Lotte Duty Free  |  palm biometrics  |  palm vein authentication  |  retail biometrics