Panasonic Will Add PopID’s Facial Recognition And Payment Capability to Its Kiosk App

Restaurants using Panasonic Corp. of North America’s kiosk systems will have a new option for their consumers to order and pay, while limiting their contact, with the integration of facial recognition and payment technology from PopID Inc.

Announced Thursday, the integration with the Panasonic ClearConnect Kiosk app means Panasonic and PopID will jointly install the service in drive-thru systems and payment terminals. Panasonic will have preferential rights to the technology in the kiosk market. PopID is a unit of Pasadena, Calif.-based Cali Group, which also owns CaliBurger, a quick-serve restaurant, and related companies. The technology is in use already at CaliBurger, Bojangles, and Port of Subs locations.

To use the PopID service, consumers register on the PopID site and upload an image of themselves. The image becomes a digital token that can be used across the PopID network. Consumers can use the facial-recognition technology wherever the PopID logo is displayed. The image also is the key to replacing login and password information for loyalty programs and accessing stored payment card information. Users also can view their past orders once they log in. PopID also recently launched PopPay, its wallet for use with PopID. 

“Registering once for a PopID account enables guests to use their face as their identity for various purposes, ranging from temperature testing at the workplace to payment in restaurants and retail stores,” said John Miller, chief executive of PopID and chairman of Cali Group, in a release. “This partnership with Panasonic will rapidly expand the number of businesses that offer the PopPay and PopID technology in the U.S.”      

Among the benefits of PopID is an increase in the average ticket by 3% to 4%, compared with consumers not using its service, PopID says.