American Express Testing Facial Recognition, Wearable Tech

The financial services corporation is trying to simplify digital payments with emerging technologies.

In order to improve the customer experience and streamline digital payments on mobile, American Express is experimenting with facial recognition software and making a push into the world of wearable technology.

The company’s lab, the American Express EG Rapid Prototyping team, has created a facial recognition prototype for mobile apps, which will enable customers to access their account information using facial mapping software. The team has also been testing prototypes on wearables to see if consumers could more easily access their account information on a preferred device.

“Both facial recognition in other mobile apps and wearables are technologies that are gaining popularity with consumers,” says David Baldie, director of technical delivery at American Express Enterprise Growth.

The company hasn’t yet decided if and when it will integrate the technologies into its digital wallet and peer-to-peer payment system Serve, as the team is still verifying their security.

“We’re still testing the security aspects of facial recognition technology. Before bringing the technology to customers, it would be thoroughly pressure tested through various risk scenarios to ensure durability and security,” says Mili Doshi, director of mobile product development and innovation at American Express Enterprise Growth.

American Express is not the first company that is trying to make mobile payments more convenient via recognition techniques. Earlier this year, Alibaba, China’s biggest e-commerce platform, started testing out a new service called “Smile to Pay,” which will allow consumers to purchase a product by scanning their faces with their mobile cameras. Meanwhile, Apple has added fingerprint identification to iPhones, and Samsung has integrated eye-scanner technology into its Galaxy S5 smartphone.

Image via Shutterstock.

Subscribe to get your daily business insights

Whitepapers

US Mobile Streaming Behavior
Whitepaper | Mobile

US Mobile Streaming Behavior

5y

US Mobile Streaming Behavior

Streaming has become a staple of US media-viewing habits. Streaming video, however, still comes with a variety of pesky frustrations that viewers are ...

View resource
Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics for Media Groups
Whitepaper | Analyzing Customer Data

Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics for Media Groups

5y

Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics f...

Data is the lifeblood of so many companies today. You need more of it, all of which at higher quality, and all the meanwhile being compliant with data...

View resource
Learning to win the talent war: how digital marketing can develop its people
Whitepaper | Digital Marketing

Learning to win the talent war: how digital marketing can develop its peopl...

2y

Learning to win the talent war: how digital market...

This report documents the findings of a Fireside chat held by ClickZ in the first quarter of 2022. It provides expert insight on how companies can ret...

View resource
Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Experience Economy
Report | Digital Transformation

Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Experience Economy

1m

Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Exp...

Customers decide fast, influenced by only 2.5 touchpoints – globally! Make sure your brand shines in those critical moments. Read More...

View resource