The biometric bargain arrives just after Revolut\u2019s latest customer data scare.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/media.reclaimthenet.org\/images\/2026\/09\/d47J8VrmdcZy.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBy Ken Macon<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the digital rights and privacy community is well aware, biometric data, especially when used as part of digital ID and online age verification schemes, is a Pandora\u2019s box. And now, it\u2019s biometrics for your coffee<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nUK customers of digital bank Revolut who have an account and live in or plan to visit London, can \u201ccelebrate\u201d the launch of the bank\u2019s facial recognition-based payments<\/u><\/a> by having a speciality coffee at one of three Kiss the Hippo cafes<\/u><\/a> in the city for 1 pound.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe offer is valid for three days, from 24 to 26 September, and the coffee is not the only thing customers will be giving Revolut \u2013 they will also be providing their face biometrics. The offer is available to those who opt in through the Revolut app, and at the till, their face will be matched against \u201cthe selfie ID checks that the customer completed when first signing up to Revolut.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is how the bank describes the process in its press release, adding that the pilot \u201cwill expand the firm\u2019s payment ecosystem into facial recognition checkout, unlocking a new revenue stream for the company.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, the cafes will be equipped with Revolut\u2019s new point-of-sale system, and merchants are incentivized to join the scheme as they will pay 0% processing on every Pay with Smile transaction. On top of that, the Revolut Register till is sold to them at half price, 349.50 pounds plus VAT, until 31 December 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Revolut says that independent venues spend an average of 875 pounds a month on processing and infrastructure, while pubs and bars spend over 950 pounds, and terminal outages cost them 2,495 pounds a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBank grade security\u201d is how Revolut advertises its new product, and among the features listed is this: \u201cAuthenticates transactions with end-to-end encryption managed inside the Revolut app and personal data never stored by merchants.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is true, but it may also be misleading, as it omits the fact that the merchant doesn\u2019t need to store anything because it\u2019s the bank that does. And that\u2019s the entity that customers should logically trust the least, given the way they handle sensitive information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Word of the bank\u2019s last data leak<\/u><\/a> reached its customers on 11 September, when Revolut disclosed that it had handed customer data to an \u201cunauthorized third party\u201d that sent an email from a real government domain, which the bank said it believed was genuine.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe data included names, dates of birth, addresses, account numbers, transaction histories, copies of government-issued IDs, and onboarding verification selfies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Revolut said that the derived biometric face data was not leaked \u2013 but the selfies were.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, Revolut customers who take part in the new scheme will be providing the bank with yet more photographs of their face, which will be stored as a \u201csecure copy of the original transaction photo\u201d that is uploaded to Revolut\u2019s \u201cinternal cloud systems\u201d and kept as \u201ca fallback safety measure to protect you and investigate potential fraud or payment disputes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBy Ken Macon<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the digital rights and privacy community is well aware, biometric data, especially when used as part of digital ID and online age verification schemes, is a Pandora\u2019s box. And now, it\u2019s biometrics for your coffee<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n UK customers of digital bank Revolut who have an account and live in or plan to visit London, can \u201ccelebrate\u201d the launch of the bank\u2019s facial recognition-based payments<\/u><\/a> by having a speciality coffee at one of three Kiss the Hippo cafes<\/u><\/a> in the city for 1 pound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The offer is valid for three days, from 24 to 26 September, and the coffee is not the only thing customers will be giving Revolut \u2013 they will also be providing their face biometrics. The offer is available to those who opt in through the Revolut app, and at the till, their face will be matched against \u201cthe selfie ID checks that the customer completed when first signing up to Revolut.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is how the bank describes the process in its press release, adding that the pilot \u201cwill expand the firm\u2019s payment ecosystem into facial recognition checkout, unlocking a new revenue stream for the company.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, the cafes will be equipped with Revolut\u2019s new point-of-sale system, and merchants are incentivized to join the scheme as they will pay 0% processing on every Pay with Smile transaction. On top of that, the Revolut Register till is sold to them at half price, 349.50 pounds plus VAT, until 31 December 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Revolut says that independent venues spend an average of 875 pounds a month on processing and infrastructure, while pubs and bars spend over 950 pounds, and terminal outages cost them 2,495 pounds a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBank grade security\u201d is how Revolut advertises its new product, and among the features listed is this: \u201cAuthenticates transactions with end-to-end encryption managed inside the Revolut app and personal data never stored by merchants.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is true, but it may also be misleading, as it omits the fact that the merchant doesn\u2019t need to store anything because it\u2019s the bank that does. And that\u2019s the entity that customers should logically trust the least, given the way they handle sensitive information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Word of the bank\u2019s last data leak<\/u><\/a> reached its customers on 11 September, when Revolut disclosed that it had handed customer data to an \u201cunauthorized third party\u201d that sent an email from a real government domain, which the bank said it believed was genuine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The data included names, dates of birth, addresses, account numbers, transaction histories, copies of government-issued IDs, and onboarding verification selfies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Revolut said that the derived biometric face data was not leaked \u2013 but the selfies were.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, Revolut customers who take part in the new scheme will be providing the bank with yet more photographs of their face, which will be stored as a \u201csecure copy of the original transaction photo\u201d that is uploaded to Revolut\u2019s \u201cinternal cloud systems\u201d and kept as \u201ca fallback safety measure to protect you and investigate potential fraud or payment disputes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n