Leda Glyptis, a fintech executive and former banker, explains how iris authentication technology integrated into Ant International’s Alipay+ GlassPay represents the first biometric verification system embedded in smart glasses for payments.
- The technology combines iris and voiceprint authentication to enable contactless transactions through smart glasses manufactured by Xiaomi and Meizu. Users can hail rides, confirm destinations, and complete payments without touching physical devices or cards. For merchants, the solution promises higher payment success rates while opening new channels for personalized customer interactions.
- Consumer adoption of smart glasses is projected to reach 18.7 million units globally by 2029, according to IDC data cited in the article. While Europe lags in deployment, Asia is leading adoption of what Glyptis calls “phygital” commerce—merging physical and digital retail experiences through biometric security, artificial intelligence, and augmented reality.
- Ant International CEO Peng Yang said seamless, real-time secure global payment will be “a main engine for global resilience and growth in a time of great change.” Iris authentication has accelerated globally due to security advantages over other biometric methods.
- Glyptis argues that financial services providers and merchants must move beyond generic AI strategies and upgrade technology infrastructure to participate in emerging payment ecosystems. She warns that consumer demand for new transaction methods is outpacing regulated entities’ ability to adapt, urging banks to partner with specialist technology providers rather than attempting to build solutions in-house.