Amazon to Shutter Palm-Scan Payment Service Amid Privacy Concerns
Amazon will phase out its Amazon One palm-scanning payment service by mid-2026, the company confirmed this week, marking a retreat from one of its most ambitious forays into biometric commerce. The technology, first introduced in select Amazon Go and Fresh stores in late 2020, allowed shoppers to link their palm print to a payment method for a "touchless" checkout experience.
While promoted as a convenient alternative to cards or phones, Amazon One never fully shook off criticism from privacy advocates and cybersecurity experts. The core concern: palm-vein patterns are immutable biometric identifiers, and storing such sensitive data centrally creates a high-value target for breaches. "Once your fingerprint or palm print is compromised, you can't get a new one," noted a report from the Electronic Frontier Foundation last year.
Amazon stated that all stored palm data will be deleted after the service winds down on June 3, 2026. The shutdown applies only to retail payment uses; the company indicated it may continue developing the underlying technology for other applications, such as workplace access control.
The move reflects broader industry caution around biometric payments. Despite early hype, adoption remained limited largely to Amazon's own ecosystem, including over 200 Whole Foods locations. No specific reason was given for the discontinuation, but analysts point to sluggish consumer uptake, operational complexity, and the regulatory spotlight on biometric data handling.
"This was a solution in search of a problem," said tech analyst Marcus Chen. "Contactless cards and phone wallets already deliver speed without the privacy baggage. Amazon likely saw diminishing returns on a system that required expensive hardware and constant security justification."
What Users Are Saying
Priya N., Seattle frequent user: "I’m honestly disappointed. It was so seamless at my local Amazon Fresh—just hover your hand and go. I never worried about the privacy side because I trust Amazon’s security."
David K., cybersecurity consultant: "Good riddance. This was a privacy nightmare wrapped in convenience. Biometric data doesn’t belong in corporate clouds. Amazon is doing the right thing by pulling the plug."
Leo R., retail tech early adopter: "It felt futuristic, but I get why it didn’t catch on. Most people just tap a card. Still, it’s a shame to see innovation like this scaled back."
Simone G., digital rights advocate: "This isn’t just a business decision—it’s a concession that consumers are rejecting surveillance masquerading as convenience. We need stronger laws to prevent such experiments from being rolled out again without consent."