Specifically, the trial is currently taking place in Edmonds, Washington, which is north of Seattle, where the average customer is roughly 45-years-old, approximately 10 years older than the average Seattle resident, as reported by Forbes.com.
There’s a reason why the coffee giant is testing out this new contactless way to pay at this particular location. Older consumers—unlike their younger cohorts—are less likely to gravitate towards payment methods they may not be familiar with, such as biometrics.
According to Forbes, initial reactions to the palm payment system have been met with uncertainty from older consumers, with overall sentiment around the system being mixed.
Understandably, asking consumers to pay with their palm—especially when many just got used to paying with their mobile device—can be a difficult thing to grasp. But the acceleration of biometrics, the potential it has to make an impact in the payments space, and the investment retailers and brands are making in the technology, also points to the fact that biometric payment systems aren’t going away.
With any type of payment method, there’s always a learning curve. Through Amazon One, Amazon aims to streamline the process so when consumers get to the kiosk to pay for their goods, it’s as convenient as possible. Consumers are first encouraged to sign-up for the system either by enrolling through the Amazon One site or at the Amazon One kiosk. Once at the kiosk, consumers scan a barcode and then scan both of their palms.
In September 2022, Starbucks has announced the introduction of Starbucks Odyssey, a loyalty programme that will combine Starbucks’ Rewards with an NFT platform.
Starbucks Odyssey is the company’s first incursion into building with web3 technology and it will allow its customers to earn and purchase digital assets that will unlock a broader set of rewards and experiences.
Starbucks representatives have stated for TechCrunch that they have been investigating blockchain technologies for the last couple of years but have only started being involved in this project for around six months, with an urge to expand the business and its loyalty program. Although built on blockchain and web3 technologies, Starbucks chose to make NFTs the necessary permits that allow access to this digital community, while making the nature of the technology behind it obscure. This is believed to make the platform more accessible for non-technical customers.
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