Trends

One year on, is WeChat’s palm payment feature a success?

AuthorTanee Shao

Reading Time8 min

PublishedNovember 5, 2024

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Headline

Context

A year ago, WeChat Pay, developed by the Tencent team, launched the innovative palm payment feature. This technology uses “palm print + palm vein” dual-factor authentication. WeChat Pay aims to provide users with a contactless, highly convenient, and secure payment experience. In May 2023, WeChat Pay officially launched the palm payment service. Passengers could now scan their hand to pass through the subway gate on the Beijing Daxing Airport Express subway line. In September of the same year, the system was officially launched in over 1,500 7-Eleven stores in Guangdong. Currently, WeChat Pay’s palm payment has been applied in various scenarios such as transportation, fitness, campuses, retail, dining, offices, and shared charging.

Evidence

Pending intelligence enrichment.

Analysis

Also read: Tencent simplifies WeChat payments for mainland China visitors Let’s look back at this technology’s performance in the market and user feedback. Most user feedback indicates that palm print scanning payments have significantly simplified the payment process. “I find it super convenient because I no longer need to take out my phone, unlock it, find the app, and then make the payment. Now, I just need to show my hand to pay, and I really like this payment method,” said Lucy, a 22-year-old university student from Hangzhou. She is a fan of palm payment and started using this technology as soon as it was launched. Additionally, user feedback on the palm print scanning feature has effectively addressed various unexpected issues. For example, users often encounter situations where their phone is out of battery, left at home, or even lost. In other scenarios, such as when people are carrying heavy objects, payments can still be made smoothly. By eliminating the need for physical cards or smart devices, palm print payment offers a more convenient solution for busy users.

Key Points

WeChat’s PalmPay offers contactless, secure, and convenient payments through dual authentication. This technology is highly suitable for fast-paced environments.
Users appreciate the convenience of palm scanning payments but are concerned about privacy, data security, and accidental payments.
In the competition with other payment methods, Tencent seeks to expand palm print payments to more areas. However, it faces challenges such as device costs and user adaptation.