Pay with a smile: Verifone brings biometric-capable payment devices to Australia

Sydney, Australia, Aug. 13, 2026 -- Paying for a morning coffee could soon be as easy as smiling at the payment device. Verifone, a leading provider of payment technology in Australia, today announced it is bringing biometric technology to the country.

The Verifone Victa suite of payment devices supports face and palm-vein biometric verification at the checkout. These capabilities extend the value of Victa beyond traditional payment acceptance by enabling more secure, frictionless identification of the consumer.

“Australians are used to tapping a card or a phone to pay for the things they want and need. Paying with a smile is the next step: a checkout that is secure and connected,” said Kristy Gregory, Head of Strategic Partners, Verifone. “Verifone’s goal is to make the checkout experience faster, easier and safer for consumers and retailers. People already use biometrics to unlock phones, access apps and confirm payments online. We’re giving customers that same choice at the point of sale.”

Biometrics are opt-in, and customers choose how they pay‍

Biometric payment and loyalty check-in are optional features. Consumers enroll through a participating provider such as merchants, digital wallets, banks and others and provide required consent as part of that enrollment process. At checkout, an enrolled consumer actively selects the biometric option and presents their face or palm.  The system processes the biometric capture and verifies the identity of the consumer from their enrolled biometric profile.  

The enrolled biometric profile is managed by the service provider through which the consumer is enrolled. The merchant offers the biometric option alongside existing payment methods including card, phone, and PIN payments, which remain available at the terminal.

Beyond payments: an open platform‍

Biometrics is one capability of the Victa platform. Victa devices can support a range of applications and services, including loyalty, ordering, split payments, donations, and third-party business applications.

"Victa runs on Verifone's secure operating system, so third-party developers can build value-added services directly onto the platform," said Ben Hughes, Head of Product for Asia Pacific at Verifone. "We're already seeing this in New Zealand, across loyalty applications, alternative payment methods, donations and on-device apps. Victa isn't just a payment device — it's a business tool."

Victa’s key capabilities:

• Biometrics: built-in support for facial and palm-vein biometric identification
• Tokenized loyalty: supports loyalty experiences without requiring a physical loyalty card
• Security: PCI PTS 7.x, point-to-point encryption and tokenization
• Sustainability: constructed with 60% recycled plastics, field-replaceable batteries, digital receipts and reduced single-use packaging
• Accessibility: haptic feedback and audio cues for screen navigation
• Battery: a full shift on one charge, rated at a minimum of 12 hours

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Advancing the Victa platform, one form factor at a time‍

Verifone continues to invest in next-generation payment devices and services that enhance how merchants engage customers, secure transactions, and adapt to emerging expectations. The newest members of the Victa family bring additional form factors to market with greater speed, while maintaining a consistent foundation across Verifone’s hardware portfolio. Together, these devices support a wide range of commerce environments — empowering every transaction, anywhere.  

Mobile and Portable Commerce

• Victa Mini – An ultra-portable payment device for pop-up retail, curbside service and space-constrained environments.
• Victa Mobile and Victa Portable – Devices for fast, flexible commerce in-aisle, curbside, or in high-traffic environments.
  

In Lane and Countertop Checkout

• Victa Register – A merchant-facing point-of-sale solution for high-volume retailers with a large touchscreen and modular accessories.
• Victa Lane – A sleek, customer-facing payment device for fast in-lane checkout experiences, standalone or paired with Victa Register.
  

Unattended and Rugged Environments

• Victa Unattended – A rugged, always-on payment solution engineered for self-service environments such as kiosks, vending, transit, and parking.
• Victa Mobile Ruggedized – A durable mobile payment device built for demanding environments.
  

Verifone expects the platform to support a wide range of merchants, from growing small businesses to large retailers, with use cases across counter service, mobile selling, self-service environments and sectors where identity or age verification matters.

In Australia, Verifone’s Victa family of devices will be available to merchants through the company's banking and acquiring partners in the coming months.