The way of the future or a bit sinister? Revolut pilots Pay with Smile facial recognition checkout solution
Revolut is testing out what is pitched as the UK’s first in-store facial recognition checkout system, Pay with Smile. This taps Revolut Register, a new hospitality PoS hardware system, and is being piloted at select Kiss the Hippo cafés.
The future of in-store payments? Or a solution that is at best looking for a problem that doesn’t exist, or at worst yet another example of a big tech company launching an assault on privacy rights in a ruthless pursuit of profits? Answers on a postcard, please, to the usual address…
Once customers are enrolled, Pay with Smile uses facial technology to verify the identity of the user against the selfie ID checks that they completed when first signing up to Revolut to authenticate and process a payment.
Alex Codina, General Manager of Merchant Payments at Revolut Business, says: "With over half of Brits reporting delays or failures due to merchants dropping internet signals, checkout friction is driving customers out the door. To solve this, we're deploying Revolut’s full technological ecosystem to reinvent the mechanics of the hospitality industry and give consumers the payments experience they deserve. By combining high performance processing with facial recognition technology, we’ll replace outdated, fragmented tills with a hyper-efficient checkout experience designed to solve consumer and merchant pain points.”
Alex Damgaci, Managing Director at Kiss the Hippo Coffee, says: "In hospitality, a seamless checkout is no longer a luxury, it's the bare minimum. Technology that takes the friction out of the payment process and offers payment flexibility gives operators the reliability they need to protect revenue and maintain guest satisfaction. To mark the pilot, we've put together a special menu, and we're looking forward to welcoming guests to pay with a smile at our Bloomsbury, Soho and Chelsea cafés."
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Payments will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
