PayPal has long offered its face cheque service in the US, which enables users to pay using their face via the PayPal app on Windows Phone, iOS and Android.
Now however it’s finally coming to the UK with the company rolling out a trial period with 12 different merchants in London borough Richmond upon Thames. It’s a suitable place for PayPal to start, with its UK offices based in the borough.
When a customer wants to buy an item, all they need to do is check in to the shop on their smartphone of choice and sliding a pin down the screen.
The shop assistant will then see the customer’s name and photo appear on the shop’s payment system and the retailer charges them by clicking on the image.
Customers will then be notified about the transaction and get a receipt sent directly to their phone — meaning no more pesky paper receipts.
Whilst there’s only a dozen retailers currently participating, PayPal hopes that more than 2,000 will enlist in the new payments system by the end of 2013.
PayPal head of retail services Rob Harper said in a statement to Sky News: “This is another step on the journey towards a wallet-less high street … (with people paying) using their phone or tablet. We predict that by 2016 this will become a reality.”
