Amazon has announced that their palm-recognition technology will be available at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver, with plans to expand to other locations in the coming months. It’s the first time the Amazon One technology, which allows customers to pay for groceries and snacks by swiping their palms, will be utilized outside of Amazon’s stores.
Red Rocks concertgoers can sign up to connect their palm to a ticketing account simply by hovering their hand over a device starting Tuesday. They simply have to register once, after which they can use their palm to gain access to other shows and activities in the venue. It does not require an Amazon account to use.
Amazon has partnered with AEG to introduce the technology to Red Rocks, which sells tickets through AEG’s ticketing platform, AXS.
Other venues are expected to implement the technology in the coming months, according to Bryan Perez, CEO of AXS, although he did not disclose where or how many. AEG has over 350 stadiums and theaters across the world as partners.
Concertgoers can access their seats faster by handing their phone up to an attendant to scan a bar code, according to Perez. A separate lane will be available for those who want to scan their hands.
“You don’t have to fiddle with your phone,” Perez explained. “Your hand is inextricably linked to your body.”
Biometric data, such as the face or palm scans, has been recommended against by privacy experts due to the possibility of it being hacked and stolen. The palm photos are stored in a safe portion of Amazon’s cloud, according to the company, and the information is not stored on the Amazon One device. Users can also request that their information be erased at any time, according to Amazon.
