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In a groundbreaking move, WeChat, the popular microblogging site, has introduced a new cutting-edge AI feature. Now users can make payments through a simple palm swipe gesture. 

The China-based Tencent-owned app is being celebrated as a contactless payment breakthrough technology.

This innovative technology combines facial recognition and palm identification to create a seamless and secure payment experience.

 Facial recognition is a form of artificial intelligence (AI) that mimics the human ability to recognize a person’s face.

The imaging software uses AI to recognize the nuanced patterns of a face. And it uses the specifications to identify an individual face or the unique details of a palm print.

How WeChat pay works

To utilize this feature, users need to link their WeChat account to the device. And register their palm print. 

Making a purchase is as easy as waving your hand in front of a camera-embedded scanning surface. The system analyzes various palm characteristics, including palm prints, veins, and hand stretching patterns, to ensure accurate identification. 

WeChat assures users that the technology works reliably under different lighting conditions and adapts to physiological differences in palm prints, making it accessible to people of all ages.

Beyond its payment capabilities, this biometric palm identification system offers a multitude of other applications. Users can employ it for tasks like boarding public transportation, verifying attendance at schools or workplaces, and replacing traditional membership cards at gyms. 

The versatility of this technology opens up new possibilities for streamlined and secure interactions across various domains.

Contactless payment 

In recent years there has been a surge in demand for touchless solutions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

People are now avoiding physical contact. And the pandemic has shown us that there may be a need to wear face masks. The demand for contactless payment options makes this technology more relevant than ever before.

While WeChat is at the forefront of palm recognition technology, it is worth noting that other companies have also explored this area. 

For example, Amazon introduced "Amazon One" in 2020, which employs palm recognition for payment purposes. Although it has been implemented in select stores like Whole Foods, some US lawmakers remain skeptical about its security and privacy implications.

Biometric palm payment compared to facial recognition offers certain advantages. 

Palm images are less likely to be publicly available, as people generally do not share pictures of their palms on social media platforms. Moreover, unlike credit cards, individuals cannot easily change their palm characteristics if their information is compromised.

 However, security concerns remain, as hand gestures can be captured on video without the user's knowledge.

WeChat's foray into biometric palm payment is set to further intensify the competition in the Chinese payment service landscape. 

With over 900 million users, WePay has already surpassed AliPay as the most popular payment service in China. The addition of contactless payment based on palm recognition adds a new dimension to this rivalry, promising an even more intriguing and dynamic future.

According to WeChat’s website "Young and old can brush."