That’s an Amazon high-five

Since retail giant Amazon.com started licensing its walk-through store technology to other retailers in 2020, stores like the Hudson airport and convenience-store chain have been running pilots to test the wireless gadgets.

The idea is that shoppers scan an app linked to their credit card as they enter the store. As they shop, cameras and sensors keep track of the items they drop in their basket, and the system automatically charges them when they “Just Walk Out” … which happens to be the name of the product.

As if that approach weren’t easy enough, the company is now using biometrics to let consumers skip the credit-card step entirely. The “Amazon One” palm recognition service scans a shopper’s hand as they wave at a screen and automatically links that person’s unique hand shape to the credit card on record.

The Hudson chain is again first in line to try the new device, launching Amazon One in its “Hudson Nonstop” location at Dallas's Love Field Airport. First-time users can register at an enrollment kiosk located outside the shop, if they haven’t already done so at other retail sites like Amazon Go, Amazon Books, or Whole Foods Market stores.

As for security, Amazon’s website says, “Your palm is a unique part of you. It doesn’t go anywhere you don’t and can’t be used by anyone but you.” However, some tech experts have voiced concern that hackers could still gain access to the digital version of that print. Travelers through the Dallas airport will be among the first to weigh those risks.