“This week, Amazon Payment Services, a regional leader in digital payments operating across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), participated in Seamless Middle East 2022. Amazon Payment Services leaders addressed an audience of fintech and online retail innovators, startups, and business leaders to discuss innovation and shed light on how customers will dictate the future of payments. Amazon Payment Services’ participation at Seamless falls in line with its commitment to engage with and foster the fintech, online retail, and wider business communities across MENA. Amazon Payment Services supports merchants beyond payments through its extended services portfolio, advanced technologies and value-added services, as well as a strong and growing network of partners throughout the region. A key Amazon Payment Services solution featured at Seamless Middle East 2022 was Installments, a highly targeted and tailored offering proven to increase sales by 10-15% across average basket sizes. Also showcased at the event was PrivateLink, a multi-pronged solution designed to increase security, improve the payment experience and success rate, as well as reduce data egress costs for merchants.”

“The Texas city of Austin has become the first region outside the Seattle area where Whole Foods Market is offering the palm recognition service Amazon One as a payment option. The Arbor Trails Whole Foods store is the initial location in the Austin area to allow shoppers to pay with just a scan of their palm. Customer enrollment in the Amazon One service takes less than a minute, which involves linking credit/debit card info and creating palm signatures for one or both palms. A palm signature is created when a customer holds their palm over the Amazon One device, allowing the technology to evaluate multiple aspects of the palm. With no two palms alike, vision technology analyzes all aspects to select the most distinct identifiers on a palm to create a unique palm signature”

“The push to become a bigger player in consumer payments shows Amazon’s desire to further integrate itself into the lives of its customers. It isn’t clear exactly how customers would use Amazon Pay in stores: They could tap their phones at checkout, much the same way they use Apple Pay, or scan a code on their phones, among other options. “

“Amazon.com Inc. is planning to offer a credit card to U.S. small-business customers, furthering its push to supply companies with everything from reams of paper to factory parts, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The e-commerce giant has been in talks with banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co. on a co-branded credit card for small-business owners who shop on its website, said the people, who asked not to be named discussing private negotiations. An Amazon spokesman declined to comment.”