Google announced that it's testing a new payment program called "Hands Free" that lets users pay for goods without ever having to reach into their pockets. They are currently running a limited public pilot in a small number of stores in the South Bay, including McDonald's, Papa John's and local businesses to pilot the experience.
The idea behind the program is that anyone can walk into a store, find what they want and head to the register, requiring only their face and a moment's conversation to purchase something. The Hands Free app uses Bluetooth low energy, WiFi, location services, and other sensors on your phone to detect whether you are near a participating store. This enables you to pay hands-free, without fumbling with your phone or opening the Hands Free app.
When you are ready to pay at a store, simply tells the cashier "I'll pay with Google". The cashier confirms your identity, using your initials and the photo you added to your Hands Free profile.
"At select stores, we are also running very early experiments using visual identification to further simplify the checkout process. This process uses an in-store camera to automatically confirm your identity based on your Hands Free profile picture. All images and data from the Hands Free in-store camera are used only to confirm your identity for each Hands Free purchase" the company said.
"Hands Free never shares your full credit card number with the store and all your payment details are stored securely and shared only with the payment processor. The cashier can only charge you when Hands Free detects that your phone is near the store. The cashier then verifies your identity to make sure that they are charging the right person."
The app can be downloaded on Google Play or the App Store and in-app store directory can be checked for merchant locations.
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