Revolut is testing a facial-recognition payment service in London that lets customers authorize a purchase by looking at a terminal, without presenting a bank card or smartphone. The pilot, called Revolut Pay with Smile, is currently available at a limited number of Kiss the Hippo coffee shops.
Customers enroll through the Revolut app. At checkout, the terminal compares their face with the selfie previously used during account identity verification, allowing the transaction to be approved without tapping a card, opening an app or scanning a code.
The service is tied to Revolut Register, the company’s point-of-sale system for merchants. Revolut says merchants pay a 0% processing fee on Pay with Smile transactions. The first Register terminal is offered at a promotional price of £349.50 plus VAT, down from £699 plus VAT, for orders placed through the end of 2026.
Facial payments would add another option alongside contactless cards, smartphones and smartwatches, but the London trial remains limited in scope. Revolut has not announced a wider rollout timetable or availability in other markets.
