Mumbai: Google is testing a pilot program, called Hands Free, which would allow users to make payments without taking their smartphones out of their pockets. While the pilot is still in early stages, Google has started to invite people in the South Bay to test the application. Hands Free is currently available on Android and iOS devices and is rolling out to a small number of local eateries in the area.
Hands Free uses Bluetooth low energy, Wi-Fi, and location services on the phones to detect whether a user is near a participating store. A user can simply tell a cashier that, “I’ll pay with Google”, and the bills would be adjusted directly from a user’s account A user’s initial and the uploaded Hand Free profile pictures will be used to confirm identity.
Hands Free
At select stores, Google is also testing with visual identification so users can checkout even faster. This process is aided by an in-store camera to automatically confirm a user’s identity based on Hands Free profile picture. All images captured by the Hands Free camera are deleted immediately.
