Home / Business and Economy / Whole Foods Ditches Palm Payments After Customer Backlash
Whole Foods Ditches Palm Payments After Customer Backlash
15 Feb
Summary
- Over 500 Whole Foods stores nationwide removing palm scanners by June 3.
- Customers cited privacy fears and redundancy as reasons for avoidance.
- Amazon states data will be securely deleted after removal.
By June 3, Whole Foods will eliminate the Amazon One biometric payment system from all of its over 500 U.S. locations. This move comes after customers expressed significant resistance to the palm-scanning technology. Introduced as a way to link Amazon accounts to palm prints for seamless payments, the service failed to gain widespread traction.
Customers voiced strong opposition on social media platforms, citing fears of 'Big Brother' surveillance and concerns over Amazon possessing their biometric data. Interviews with shoppers revealed a lack of usage, with many unaware of the program or finding it unnecessary given the prevalence of phone-based digital wallets. Retail analysts noted that weaker consumer adoption and a lack of broader retailer interest contributed to the decision.
Despite Amazon's assurances that data is encrypted, securely stored in the AWS cloud, and not shared with third parties, many customers remain distrustful. Some shoppers believe Amazon will not truly delete their biometric information after the service ends. Amazon, however, maintains that all customer data, including palm prints and payment information, will be securely deleted.
