The global pandemic has forced many businesses and restaurants to switch up their traditional models, with many pivoting to accommodate contactless ordering systems and also less face-to-face contact in service. Bobacino, a boba tea startup that is a standalone, fully integrated system and and dispenser, looks to be a part of that trend by partnering with PopID, a facial recognition payment company.
This partnership looks to allow customers the ability to pay with their face at Bobacino's automated locations and on mobile devices.
PopID's advanced facial recognition technology works hand in hand with Bobacino's low-touch automation, speed and accessibility. Notable benefits of this partnership are:
- On-site contactless ordering and payment: PopID-compatible Bobacino machines will feature full software and hardware integration, allowing customers to select and utilize PopID's PopPay solution as a payment method on the same screen they viewed Bobacino's menu and placed their order. Customers can still pay via traditional credit/debit cards if they do not have a PopID account.
- App ordering and payment: Bobacino customers will be able to use PopID as a payment method on PopID's app for placing pre-orders for pickup.
- Customer confirmation: Customers will also have the option of verifying their identity with PopID to retrieve their order. Through an opt-in only system, the customer's face will be scanned and authenticated to dispense the drink. No customer data will be saved on Bobacino machines.
The demand for low-touch concepts and similar solutions that align with the fluid restaurant trends caused by the pandemic has led to much interest in Bobacino's business model.
Just the fact alone that I can get a quick boba fix with the ease of just showing my face is enough to get me excited for this new technological breakthrough.
