Whataburger allows face payment in some restaurants

You can now buy your lunch with just your face.

Whataburger allows face payment at some restaurants, meaning you don’t need to carry around a purse, wallet or even your phone – your hands are free for a burger and a shake.

The chain now accepts biometric payments using PopID’s facial verification system in some restaurants and may soon expand this trend to even more restaurants, according to a press release from JP Morgan Payments, which is expanding its partnership with PopID.

“We are excited to continue using biometric payments to revolutionize the way our customers purchase their favorite food reliably and securely,” said Jerry Phillips, VP of Technology at Whataburger. “At Whataburger, we believe in innovation, and this is a significant step forward to enhance our overall dining experience. This new offering allows us to offer our valued guests a faster, safer and more seamless payment process, backed by the stability of an established financial institution.”

The JP Morgan Payments press release stated that Whataburger has already seen positive impacts in the form of faster checkout times and increased customer engagement at checkout and self-service kiosks thanks to biometric payments.

To use the new technology, customers must first register by taking a photo of their face. This photo is converted into a template, encrypted and stored securely in the PopID cloud. Then, when the customer wants to make a purchase, their face is matched to this template. Once registered, they can pay by scanning their face at any retailer participating in the pilot program. Customers can also opt out at any time.

A PopID map shows that four Whataburger restaurants in the College Station area and one near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, currently accept Face Payment. KSAT has contacted Whataburger to find out which restaurants will be added to this list, but has not yet heard back.