Facebook files patent for facial recognition for physical payments

This move aligns with the tech company’s general strategy of advancing in the retail and ecommerce market. Facebook has integrated payments functionalities within its app and the company is constantly growing its online marketplace. 

The patent describes a way of using facial recognition as a secure and convenient method for physical retailers to authenticate customers’ identities when making a purchase. 

Patent inventor Stephen Moore Davis addressed the limitations of existing payment methods in the filing, including the requirements for devices using NFC for payments to first be unlocked with a PIN, password or biometric, and then held very close to the payment terminal. Facebook says this multi-step process is inconvenient and can take longer than transactions with cash or payment cards.

The patent describes an authentication method that captures a facial image at the point of sale. The image is then matched against the one stored in the user’s account to authenticate the shopper and the associated payments account. The users receives a request for confirmation on the device. 

According to the patent, the user’s facial image is matched by comparison with ““a plurality of images corresponding to a plurality of users of a social networking system.”