Yahoo! Mart Introduces Facial Recognition Payments: Revolutionizing Retail Experience

Yahoo! Mart, a quick-commerce store operated by Yahoo Japan Corporation, will introduce a self-service point-of-sale (POS) cash register that supports facial recognition payments using PayPay at its Yoyogi Uehara store.

The move comes when the retail and distribution sectors face labor shortages and changing user needs and sales patterns due to the declining birthrate, aging population, and ongoing pandemic.

Yahoo! Mart, which launched its quick-commerce service in July 2021, is working with Askul and DEMAE-CAN, both members of the Z Holdings Group, to enable customers to pick up products in as little as 15 minutes.

In addition, the company aims to improve user convenience by introducing the facial recognition payment system.

0417a_2-복사본 ‣ pickool — Source: Yahoo! Japan

To participate in the demonstration, users must register their facial image on a unique website linked to their Yahoo! Japan ID and PayPay account.

Customers can then scan the barcode of their product at the self-service checkout, select “Face Recognition Payment,” and hold up their face for recognition. Upon successful recognition, the payment is completed using the PayPay balance.

The facial recognition system lets users purchase quickly without using smartphones or wallets.

Yahoo! Japan plans to use the results of this experiment to develop new services and expand PayPay facial recognition payments to other locations.

The company assures users that the facial images registered for recognition and those captured during the authentication process will be kept strictly confidential and will only be used to provide facial recognition and improve its quality with the user’s consent.