Canadian omnichannel technology company Bold Commerce has launched an AI-enabled biometric checkout powered by Texas-based Wink.

Instead of having to manually fill out details such as login credentials, delivery details, loyalty accounts and payment preferences, retailers can let shoppers use their face and voice to pre-fill all the information necessary to complete a purchase on any shopping channel or in-store.

Bold Checkout with Wink (boldcommerce.com/use-cases/biometric-checkout-anywhere) is said to speed up shoppers’ time at checkout by three times, eliminating checkout abandonment and fraud risk imposed by passwords.

Biometrics are already used by more than half of shoppers to complete their purchases, but existing capabilities are limited to certain devices and to the payment portion of checkout only. For the two-thirds of shoppers who expect to complete checkout in four minutes or less, existing dependency on passwords for shopper accounts is full of friction and vulnerabilities. Current device-based biometric offerings are often bypassed by PIN codes, do not adhere to shoppers’ preferences of using alternate payment methods, and aren’t typically available to shoppers on every channel where they’re making a purchase.

Bold Commerce has introduced biometrics into every part of the checkout process, eliminating passwords and PINs, so shoppers can go from cart to purchase using only their face. Retailers can integrate the technology into any mobile, desktop or in-store shopping experience, providing shoppers with the option to expedite checkout no matter where they are or what they’re buying.

Retailers can authenticate customers with voice and face recognition using the camera on their personal device or in-store device, such as a PoS terminals or self-checkout stations. Once a shopper is verified, they’re automatically signed into their customer account and details such as delivery preferences, loyalty points, coupon offers and preferred payment method are pre-filled to complete the purchase. Shoppers can identify their preferred payment method from various choices, from credit cards to digital wallets, pay by bank and buy now pay later, allowing them to pay in the way that suits them best.

“There is a massive untapped potential for retailers to tap the benefits of biometrics for delivering a frictionless omnichannel and secure checkout experience for shoppers,” said Deepak Jain, CEO of Wink (wink.cloud). “Our collaboration with Bold Commerce merges unparalleled biometric capabilities with top-tier checkout technology, unlocking an unprecedented shopping experience previously unexplored in the industry. The current landscape demands innovations that prioritise security, speed and a seamless shopping journey, making this integration an imperative step towards meeting evolving consumer expectations and ensuring a future-ready shopping ecosystem.”

The technology was designed to simplify checkout without sacrificing the tailored experiences shoppers receive based on their individual preferences and needs. The biometric authentication also adds an extra layer of security for retailers and shoppers to prevent purchases from fraudulent bots and/or unauthorised accounts. Retailers can integrate biometrics into their checkout on any shopping channel or in-store device to reach shoppers anywhere they’re making a purchase.

“Retailers are increasingly making their way into the biometrics space, and making it easy for them to integrate biometrics into the checkout experience so shoppers can quickly make a purchase using only their face,” said Peter Karpas, CEO of Bold Commerce (boldcommerce.com). “We’re taking the tailored checkout experience that Bold has long powered a step further with Bold Checkout with Wink to drive conversion, customer loyalty and average order value.”