Why Can't I Pay With My Face?

In London's Underground, where millions navigate daily, efficiency matters. The passenger gates, the gateway to our commutes, often become bottlenecks, with people fumbling through wallets, smartphones, and contactless cards.

This raises an obvious question: why can't we just use our faces?

Is Facial Payment Feasible?

Facial recognition has matured significantly over the past decade. Modern systems are fast, accurate, and increasingly privacy conscious. With the UK's extensive CCTV infrastructure, 4 to 6 million cameras nationwide, the technological barriers are minimal.

The cameras are already there. The AI is ready. The payment infrastructure exists. So what's stopping us?

How It Could Work

The system would be straightforward:

Enrolment: Users upload facial photos with explicit digital consent, linking their face to a payment method.
Recognition: Cameras at transport gates identify individuals automatically, charging linked payment methods without requiring physical cards or phones.
Security: Multi factor verification for high value transactions, with biometric data encrypted and stored securely.
Privacy: Users can opt in or out freely, with clear controls over how their facial data is used and stored.
Fallback: Traditional payment methods remain available for those who prefer them or for system failures.

Face Pay Globally

This isn't science fiction. It's already happening:

Mastercard pilots "smile to pay" systems in Poland, where customers simply look at a camera to authorise payments.

Denmark, Nigeria, China, and the US have implemented similar systems in various contexts, from retail to transport.

The UK already uses facial recognition in e-border systems at airports, verifying identities against passport photos.

If we trust facial recognition for border security, why not for transport payments?

London's Potential

Four million daily Tube riders could experience faster commutes. Broader applications include retail, parking payments, and venue access, all via recognition systems.

Imagine walking through a shop, picking up items, and simply walking out whilst cameras identify you and charge your account automatically. Amazon Go stores demonstrate this model works. Scale it to an entire city's transport network.

Benefits Beyond Convenience

Speed: Gates open instantly. No fumbling for cards, no declined payments, no queues.

Accessibility: Elderly people, those with disabilities, or anyone who struggles with physical cards benefits from hands free payment.

Hygiene: Post pandemic, contactless everything has become more appealing. True contactless means no touching anything at all.

Lost Card Prevention: Can't lose your face. No more panicking about misplaced Oyster cards or demagnetised bank cards.

Tourism: Visitors enrol once using their hotel or arrival point, then navigate London effortlessly without needing local payment cards.

Addressing Concerns

Privacy: Facial data must be encrypted, stored securely, and never shared without explicit consent. Users should be able to delete their data at any time.

Accuracy: Modern systems have error rates below 0.1% for verification tasks. Combined with fallback authentication for edge cases, this is reliable enough for widespread deployment.

Surveillance Concerns: This isn't about tracking movements, it's about payment authorisation at specific points. The system need not store journey data beyond what's already collected for contactless cards.

Inclusivity: Traditional payment methods must remain available. Facial payment should be an option, not a mandate.

Implementation Vision

I'm calling on London's Mayor to position the city as an AI innovation leader, scaling biometric transactions across services whilst supporting the Prime Minister's vision of UK AI leadership.

Start with a pilot programme on a single Tube line. Gather data, refine the system, address concerns transparently. Then scale gradually across London's transport network.

Partner with tech companies, academic institutions, and civil liberties organisations to ensure implementation is secure, ethical, and privacy respecting.

Make London the first major city where you can truly navigate public transport with nothing but your face. Other cities will follow.

Conclusion

The technology exists. The infrastructure is in place. Public acceptance of biometrics is growing. The question isn't whether facial payment is possible, it's whether we have the political will and regulatory framework to implement it responsibly.

London prides itself on innovation. We built the world's first underground railway. We pioneered contactless payment on transport. Why not lead the world again with biometric payments?

The future of urban transport isn't fumbling for cards. It's walking through barriers seamlessly whilst AI handles everything invisibly. Let's build that future, starting with London.

Why can't we pay with our faces? Honestly, there's no good reason. Let's make it happen.