Alipay launches smile for payment at KFC Hangzhou

Alipay launched the 'Smile to Pay' face recognition system at the Hangzhou KFC outlet. Alibaba's Ant Financial operates Alipay's electronic payment platform launches the world's first commercial payment system application to identifies payers using face recognition technologies where customers authenticate payments using their faces.

The Smile to Pay application takes just one second to recognize the face and then verify the second via smartphone. The technology is fully insured and able to accurately identify customers, even if they are disguised using makeup or wigs.

"3D cameras and algorithms in Smile to Pay effectively block spoofing attempts using other people's photos or video footage," said Chen Jidong, director of biometric technology at Ant Financial.

Smile to Pay is supported by Face++ technology developed by Beijing-based startup Megvii, which has garnered the last US$100 million last round of funding led by CCB International and Foxconn Technology.

So far Alipay has more than half of China's mobile payment market share of US$5.5 trillion. Other companies such as Didi Chuxing who operate the ride-hailing platform also use Face++ to verify the identity of 1.35 million drivers.