CHINA (MACAU). DFS Group has introduced WeChat Facial Recognition Payment in Macau. The luxury travel retailer claims this makes it the first international merchant to introduce the platform outside Mainland China.
DFS said that partnership enhances the check-out experience for Chinese customers by offering “unparalleled efficiency, safety and convenience”.
Following approval from the government of the Macau Special Administrative Region, DFS piloted ten WeChat Facial Recognition Payment devices at T Galleria by DFS, Macau, City of Dreams last month.
The next DFS store to receive the payment technology will be T Galleria Beauty by DFS in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay, after which it will be gradually rolled out to DFS locations around the world
WeChat Pay aims to promote the use of seamless mobile payment solutions to support the development of smart cities, smart transport and smart retail. Its technological advancements feature facial recognition services for a more secure, efficient and seamless way of living.
With the implementation of this technology, DFS and WeChat Pay aim to significantly improve the customer experience at the point of check-out.
As DFS pointed out, customers previously needed to provide a QR code on their telephone and go through the process of manual scanning. Now they can look into the camera to complete payment. “This instantly eliminates the number of steps and time to complete a transaction, decreasing wait time for the customer and increasing efficiency and shopping flow for the retailer,” DFS said in a statement.
DFS Group Chief Financial Officer Zac Coughlin commented: “Facial recognition payment has become the predominant form of digital payment amongst key retail market players, further closing the gap between the online and offline experience.
“We are immensely proud to become the very first global merchant outside Mainland China to enable WeChat Facial Recognition Payment, as part of our commitment to constantly adapt to the ever-evolving needs of our customers.”
WeChat Facial Recognition Payment is available only to customers with a valid Chinese form of identification.
As reported, DFS Group became the first travel retailer to be featured as a Best in Class example for its use of WeChat Pay’s Mini Program earlier this year.
