Leave your plastic at home – all you need to make purchases in a new Mastercard pilot program is your face.

To buy something, all you have to do is smile or wave at a camera equipped with a biometric reader, according to the company, which touts the advantage of not having to take out your wallet or phone to make payment.

Mastercard’s “biometric payment program,” which uses the same type of technology that allows Apple iPhone owners to unlock their devices with their face or fingerprint, is designed for use at retailers. People who want to try out the technology must first sign up for the program in stores or through an app at home.

Merchants benefit from faster transaction times and shorter paylines, and the system is compatible with retailer loyalty programs, according to Mastercard.

“The way we pay must keep pace with the way we live, work and do business, providing consumer choice with the highest levels of security,” said Ajay Bhalla, President of Cyber ​​and Intelligence. at Mastercard, in a press release. “Our goal with this new program is to make shopping a great experience for consumers and merchants, providing the best in security and convenience.”

The first biometric Mastercard pilot is launching in Brazil this week in partnership with Payface, a digital payment system, and St Marche, a supermarket chain in São Paolo. Consumers from five participating supermarkets will be able to register via the Payface app. Other trias will be deployed in the Middle East and Asia.

Many retailers have embraced contactless payment technologies during the pandemic.

“The COVID-19 outbreak has been the primary cause for the development and acceptance of contactless biometric technologies,” KBV Research, a market research firm, said in a report. The company estimates that the global contactless biometric technology market will reach $18.6 billion by 2026.