Finnish telco Telia and local bank OP Financial have been showcasing the potential of 5G to deliver payments by face, installing the technology in an ice cream truck in Helsinki's Vallila neighbourhood.
Customers buying ice cream from the van have the opportunity to make payments with just their face using facial recognition technology from local firm Pivo.
The technology compares the customer’s face with a biometric template uploaded through a camera; the customer accepts the payment using pre-saved credit card details and the transaction is completed.
Janne Koistinen, head of Telia Finland’s 5G programme, comments: ”Facial payment is a good example of a service that benefits from the capacity increase and lower latency of 5G. 5G will also take the security of mobile connections to the next level, which is interesting for example for payment and other financial services."
Kristian Luoma, head of OP Lab, adds: ”Besides security, a smooth user experience is important for customers. 5G makes the service faster and is therefore the perfect partner for Pivo Face Payment. We believe that the trial with Telia opens a new window to the future.”