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Draft:Pay with a Smile

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Pay with a Smile
TypePayment tool
InventorSberbank
InceptionMarch 2021
Websitehttps://www.sberbank.ru

Pay with a Smile or Smile Pay (Russian: Оплата улыбкой) is a Russian widespread[1] biometric payment service developed by Sber that enables customers to pay for purchases using facial recognition at compatible payment terminals. The service authenticates a user's identity by comparing their face with biometric data previously registered in the system, eliminating the need to present a bank card or mobile phone at checkout. It was launched in 2023,[2] following the suspension of Apple Pay and Google Pay in Russia in 2022, which contributed to the wider adoption of alternative contactless payment methods.[3] However, it is worth noting that this was not Sber's first biometric initiative. In November 2020, the bank opened its first redesigned branch in Moscow featuring biometric access control and a service model without traditional teller counters. The biometric system enabled customer identification by face recognition without the need to present a passport. Instead of conventional teller windows with partitions, the branch introduced open desks designed for direct communication between customers and managers.[4] Because payments are authenticated using facial recognition rather than a mobile wallet, the service can be used regardless of whether a customer carries a bank card or uses a smartphone that supports NFC payments, including iPhones. Initially available only to Sber customers, the service was expanded in late 2024 to support payment cards issued by other Russian banks.[5]

History and X5

[edit]

In March 2021, Sber and X5 Group launched a pilot project to test biometric payments using facial recognition at the Perekrestok retail chain. The system allowed customers to authenticate payments through facial recognition at self-checkout machines equipped with 3D cameras developed for the project.[6][7][8][9][10][11]

On 2 August 2023, X5 Group and Sber officially launched the "Smile to Pay" service across 15,000 self-checkouts in approximately 4,100 Pyaterochka and Perekrestok stores in Russia. The service was integrated into X5's self-checkout infrastructure and used software solutions developed by X5's Innovation Lab and Sber. Customers could activate the service through the SberBank Online application by enabling facial recognition, selecting a linked payment card, and setting a PIN code. Following X5 Group's launch, other companies also began deploying the service in their stores. For example, Askona launched "Payment with a Smile" in its stores, with the company announcing that the service would be available in 400 stores by 27 November 2023.[12]

The system was designed to allow customers to complete payments within several seconds without using a physical bank card or a smartphone at checkout. The biometric identification technology used 3D cameras capable of facial recognition while accounting for variations in appearance and viewing angles.[13]

Criticism

[edit]

Russian law requires banks to store users' biometric data in the Unified Biometric System (EBS). This fact inevitably leads to risks of government surveillance. Furthermore, the Ministry of Transport proposed fining people who violate rules on railway transport infrastructure, but the proposal was not accepted. The operator of the Unified Biometric System stated that automatic fines cannot be implemented, either technically or legally.[14][15]

Payment terminals

[edit]

The technology (Pay with a Smile) is currently supported on three payment terminal models: KOZEN P10, KOZEN P12, and EVOTOR 6 (Russian: Эвотор 6).[16]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Biometric payments becoming widespread in Russia: Report". The States Man. 2025-04-04. Retrieved 2026-08-04.
  2. ↑ "Sber clients can now pay with their smiles from any bank's card". SBER BANK. 2024-09-26. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  3. ↑ "Gref called Apple's departure an incentive to create a "smile payment" system". iz (Russian: Известия). 2025-02-27. Retrieved 2026-08-04.
  4. ↑ "Sberbank: Smile payment system". TADVISER. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  5. ↑ "Smile-to-pay service in Russia — Fake or Real?". Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN). 2025-04-18. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  6. ↑ "Russian supermarket chain rolls out pay-with-face technology". Finextra. 2021-03-11. Retrieved 2026-08-04.
  7. ↑ "X5 and Sber launch world's largest smile-to-pay service". X5 Group. 2023-08-02. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  8. ↑ "Russian Retailer Launches Facial Recognition Payments". The Moscow Time. 2021-03-10. Retrieved 2026-08-04.
  9. ↑ "Russian Grocery Chain Lets Customers Pay With Face Biometrics". ID TECH. 2021-03-11. Retrieved 2026-08-04.
  10. ↑ "Forget Apps, Russia's X5 And Visa Have Launched Pay With Your Face". Forbes. 2021-03-10. Retrieved 2026-08-04.
  11. ↑ "With the Kremlin's blessing, Russian companies embrace biometric ambitions". rest of world. 2021-04-28. Retrieved 2026-08-04.
  12. ↑ "Askona stores earned payment for biometrics from Sberbank". TADVISER. Retrieved 2026-08-04.
  13. ↑ "X5 and Sber launch world's largest smile-to-pay service". X5. 2023-08-02. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  14. ↑ "The Russian Government's Advance on Biometric Data". HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH. 2022-07-23. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  15. ↑ "The Ministry of Transport proposed fining people via the face identification system". Kommersant. 2025-11-26. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  16. ↑ "Оплата улыбкой". SBER BANK. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
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