Visa will debut facial authentication payments at the Qatar 2022 World Cup

The Visa payment platform will launch a pilot program for facial recognition payments during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, as part of a series of efforts by the company to launch new technologies within the framework of the World Cup.

“For us, (the World Cup) is a fantastic opportunity, because it allows us to develop, test and share technologies and innovations that people begin to use (in the framework of the tournament) and then adopt as a daily practice,” said Dario. Cutin, vice president of communication for Visa for Latin America.

Cutin explained that the facial authentication payment pilot called FacePay will be possible thanks to a collaboration with the National Bank of Qatar and the fintech POP ID.

He affirmed that the user must register in a terminal that the National Bank of Qatar and POP ID will put, to generate a link of the face with the payment credential. Once that registration is done, the user will be able to complete a transaction with a face scan.

“We are experimenting, piloting this technology so that consumers get used to it,” said Cutin, who also clarified that this payment method will only be available in a few locations.

He indicated that in addition to FacePay, Visa will also promote contactless or contactless payment technology with the provision of 5,300 terminals of this type in all FIFA spaces (the 8 stadiums and the FIFA fan festival).

These terminals allow consumers to make their payments without having to pass their physical card through the terminal.

“We made an agreement to have contactless payment technology in Qatari taxis,” Cutin said.

In addition, the Visa spokesperson announced that the company has developed a pilot called digital issuance, which will allow fans traveling to Qatar to request a contactless means of payment that is immediately enabled on their smartphone.

“Instant digital issuance means that you do not have to receive a plastic, a card, but immediately (…) in the electronic wallet of your phone you already have the contactless payment credential and that is an innovation that we are bringing for the first time in Qatar,” Cutin added.

Cutin said that in addition to these efforts, Visa has also worked with local financial institutions to enable small and medium-sized merchants’ smartphones in contactless payment receiving centers.

“What we want is to help improve the experience of the individual who goes and also of the small and medium merchant, so that they have the opportunity to make transactions with all the tourists that will be arriving,” said the Visa spokesperson.

Visa is one of the sponsors of the World Cup in Qatar 2022. It has been a global partner of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) since 2007, so it not only advertises in the tournament, but also has access to a series of exclusive experiences such as being able to take your clients to the stadiums and matches.

“(The World Cup) is an excellent platform to reach practically everyone with our message, our technology, the payment innovations that we develop, both for those who have the possibility of going to the World Cup venue and also for those who that they experience and accompany remotely,” said Darío Cutín, vice president of communication at Visa.