PayPal Beacon: Zero Touch Retail Payments

Much of the promise of retail mobile payment systems revolves around changing the checkout experience in some significant way.  As PayPal sees matters, better than swiping a credit card or debit card is a way to walk in a store, and, when you’re ready to pay, money is transferred securely and automatically.

PayPal Beacon is PayPal's answer for how this can be done. Beacon is an add-on technology for merchants that will enable consumers to pay at their favorite stores completely hands-free. 

Basically, users will check in when entering a store. Consumers will have a choice of setting that prompt them to confirm payment, or automatically pay.

The system still is under testing, and not yet a commercially-launched product. 



In the latter case, simply walking in a store will trigger a vibration or sound to confirm a successful check in. 

The buyer's photo appears on the screen of the Point-of-Sale system and the transaction is completed by verbal confirmation. Funds are deducted automatically from the user PayPal account. 

Any store running point of sale systems compatible with PayPal, including Booker, Erply, Leaf, Leapset, Micros, NCR, PayPal Here, Revel, ShopKeep, TouchBistro and Vend can enable the system by plugging a PayPal Beacon device in a power outlet in their store.