ST. LOUIS — Customers at Panera Bread can now pay with just the palm of their hand as a new contactless payment method recently launched at two St. Louis locations.

What You Need To Know

  • Those with an Amazon One account and a MyPanera account can link them together and have Panera associates make meal recommendations based on their preferences and past orders

  • The first scan of the palm recognizes the customer and accesses their MyPanera account. After ordering, the customer can scan again to allow payment

  • Amazon One palm recognition is being used at the Town & Country and Bridgeton locations. Plans are underway to expand the new contactless payment method to more locations in the coming months

  • Those interested can create an Amazon One account at home and have the option to link their Amazon One ID to their credit card and MyPanera account at a participating bakery café

Panera is the first national restaurant company to use Amazon One’s palm recognition technology where customers can pay for their meals and access MyPanera rewards through their Amazon One account by placing their palm over a receiving device, according to a press release.

Those with an Amazon One account and a MyPanera account can link them together that not only allows for a contactless payment, but also allows for Panera associates make meal recommendations based on their preferences and past orders.

The first scan of the palm recognizes the customer and accesses their MyPanera account. After ordering, the customer can scan again to allow payment, according to the press release.

“Collaborating with Amazon Web Services to bring this service into our bakery-cafes is a natural extension of the tech-forward, guest-centric digital thinking that Panera is known for,” said Niren Chaudhary, CEO of Panera Bread and Panera Brands.

“Our philosophy has been centered around leveraging best-in-class technology to create a better Panera experience and using that to deepen our relationship with our loyal guests. Introducing Amazon One, as a frictionless, personalized, and convenient service, is another way we’re redefining the loyalty experience.”

Amazon One palm recognition is being used at the Town & Country and Bridgeton locations. Plans are underway to expand the new contactless payment method to more locations in the coming months, according to the press release.

“With one of the largest and most successful loyalty programs in the country, Panera wanted to make it even easier for its guests to access their rewards and have a more customized café experience,” said Dilip Kumar, vice president, AWS Applications.

“We’re proud to collaborate with Panera on the rollout of Amazon One and elevate the guest experience by providing a simple, fast, and effortless way to complete their order so they can spend more time enjoying their meal.”

Those interested can create an Amazon One account at home and have the option to link their Amazon One ID to their credit card and MyPanera account at a participating bakery café, according to the press release.

“Any private and personal data shared via Amazon One is securely stored and protected by multiple security controls, and palm images are never stored on the Amazon One device. All images are encrypted and sent to a highly secure area custom-built for Amazon One in the cloud where palm signatures are created,” the press release states.

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