JPMorgan Chase, Biggest U.S. Bank, Pilots Biometric Payments Processing With Pasadena Company

Pasadena-based biometrics firm PopID is partnering with JPMorgan Chase, the biggest U.S. bank, to expand its facial recognition payment technology to more retailers nationwide.

The collaboration, announced Tuesday, aims to speed up checkouts and increase customer spending by allowing shoppers to pay with face scans at select stores. JPMorgan Chase’s payments division is “locking arms” with PopID to help merchants reimagine the retail experience.

PopID, owned by Cali Group, currently provides biometric payment services at approximately 380 retailers and restaurants. The system requires customers to take a picture of their face, which is then stored as a template in PopID’s cloud archive for future identification and payment authorization.

JPMorgan Chase is piloting the technology with several merchants, including some Whataburger locations. This collaboration builds on an existing partnership between Whataburger and PopID. The bank’s payments division has also implemented the system at a Miami International Autodrome venue.

“This is a giant step forward in helping our clients reimagine the entire retail experience for their customers,” said Jean-Marc Thienpont, Managing Director of Omnichannel & Biometric Solutions at J.P. Morgan Payments. “We offer something that is hard to match — the stability, scale and trust of a world-class bank combined with the technology and agility of a fintech.”

Whataburger, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, operates more than 1,000 locations across 16 states, though the facial scan technology is not yet available at all venues.

JPMorgan Chase’s payments division implemented biometric payments processing at South Florida Motorsports, which began using the technology in May at a Miami International Autodrome location.

Biometric payments are increasingly gaining a foothold in the U.S. as merchants seek to streamline and accelerate the checkout process. However, some retailers, including Amazon, have pulled back on advanced technology to accelerate checkout.