Panera Goes Contactless, Deploys Amazon Palm Scanners

Panera has become the first national restaurant to deploy the Amazon One palm scanning service, used for contactless customer payment and loyalty linking.

By scanning customers’ palms, the Amazon One platform can identify an individual and allow them to pay for goods with their linked payment or loyalty points profile, as well as offer meal recommendations and earn rewards points. 

Given the ease of use, Panera hopes the service will encourage customers to use the loyalty program and redeem rewards.

The service is launching at two Panera bakery-cafes in the St. Louis area (Town and Country and Bridgeton) and will extend to more locations in the coming months.

“We are excited to deploy Amazon One in our restaurants because we want to deliver a frictionless and personalized loyalty experience for our guests,” said Niren Chaudhary, Panera’s CEO. “Amazon One is a great option for guests who want a quick and convenient way to sign up for our MyPanera loyalty program, redeem their rewards, and pay for their order with a simple hover of their palm over the Amazon One Device — all while enjoying a highly personalized in-store experience.”

Launched in 2020, Amazon One uses biometrics to scan and identify customers’ hands and was initially launched in Amazon Go and Whole Foods stores.

Related:Amazon Palm-Scanning Tech to Hit 65 Whole Foods Stores