Revolut unveils pay-by-face checkout for London cafe trial · Digg

Revolut unveils pay-by-face checkout for London cafe trial

The Independent reports that Pay with Smile requires users to opt in through Revolut’s app. A trial was scheduled for September 24–26, 2026 at three Kiss the Hippo cafes.

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Revolut Register terminal displaying the Pay with Smile checkout interface on a cafe counter.

TLDR

The Independent reports that Revolut’s Pay with Smile lets customers select the option on a Revolut Register terminal and complete a facial identity check. The system verifies their identity against checks completed at account signup before authorising an account-to-account payment. The trial was scheduled for September 24–26, 2026 at Kiss the Hippo’s Bloomsbury, Chelsea and Soho cafes. Revolut said customers must opt in and can revoke consent at any time. The company also said facial-recognition data is encrypted end-to-end and merchants will not store personal data.

Revolut is testing an in-store checkout system that lets customers authorize payments with a facial scan. The Pay with Smile trial runs from September 24 to 26 at Kiss the Hippo cafes in Bloomsbury, Chelsea and Soho, The Independent reports.

At a Revolut Register terminal, a customer selects Pay with Smile and completes a facial identity check. The system compares the scan with identity checks completed when the customer opened a Revolut account. A successful match authorizes an account-to-account payment.

The trial requires an explicit opt-in

Customers must enable the feature in Revolut's app; it is not on by default, and consent can be revoked. Revolut says facial-recognition data is encrypted end to end and that merchants do not store the customer's personal data. Those are company assurances, not an independent security audit.

Revolut is offering zero processing fees on Pay with Smile transactions during the rollout. Kiss the Hippo's managing director says the cafe chain plans to expand the system across all 12 locations later in 2026 after the three-site trial.

The trial is a limited test, not a general launch across London or the UK. Revolut says sales of the Register terminal will begin later but has not given a firm broader-availability date.

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