K fintech company Revolut has started testing a new payment system that allows customers to make in-store purchases without using a physical card or smartphone. Instead, customers can verify their identity with their face and complete the payment through their Revolut account.
The new feature, called Revolut Pay with Smile, is being piloted at three Kiss the Hippo coffee shops in London. The initial trial runs from September 24 to 26 at locations in Bloomsbury, Chelsea and Soho.
How does it work?
The new system operates through Revolut’s Revolut Register point-of-sale terminal. When making a purchase, a customer selects “Pay with Smile” on the terminal’s screen and completes a facial identity check.
The system verifies the customer’s identity against the checks completed when they signed up for Revolut. If the facial match is successful, the payment is authorised directly from the customer’s Revolut account.
This means customers do not need to take out a physical card, phone or wallet at the checkout.
However, the feature is not enabled automatically. Customers must actively opt in through their Revolut app settings before they can use Pay with Smile. Revolut also says users can withdraw their consent at any time.
What happens to facial data?
Because the system relies on biometric identification, data security is an important part of the service.
Revolut says facial recognition data is protected with end-to-end encryption, while customers’ personal data will not be stored by participating merchants. The system is used to verify the customer’s identity and authorise the account-to-account payment after a successful match.
The service is currently limited to three cafes
Pay with Smile is not yet available across Revolut’s entire network. The company is currently testing the technology at three Kiss the Hippo locations in London.
According to the company, the service is expected to expand to all 12 Kiss the Hippo cafes later this year.
Revolut is also trying to make the system attractive to merchants. The company is offering 0% processing fees for transactions made through Pay with Smile during the rollout.
A wider push into merchant payments
Pay with Smile is being introduced alongside Revolut’s Revolut Register, a new point-of-sale system designed for hospitality businesses.
The terminal combines payment processing with other tools for merchants and includes an eSIM-based connectivity option. Revolut says this is intended to help businesses maintain reliable payment operations, particularly when internet connectivity becomes an issue.
For now, Pay with Smile remains a limited pilot rather than a full-scale rollout. If the trial proves successful, facial recognition could become another option for everyday payments, alongside cards, smartphones and other contactless methods.
