Panera partners with Amazon One for contactless payments

If you are a member of Panera Bread’s Loyalty Rewards Program, you will be able to enjoy another benefit. The company announced the rollout of Amazon One for MyPanera members, which identifies loyalty memberships and enables contactless payments. The new technology will be available to customers at select cafes in St. Louis and will expand to other locations in the coming months, according to a press release.

With the swipe of your palm you can order your food or earn points. Panera customers who are part of the Loyalty Program can choose to connect their MyPanera accounts to Amazon One. You can choose to enable contactless payments, receive personalized dining recommendations, or link your loyalty membership to redeem rewards. According to the two companies, Panera is the first restaurant chain to implement Amazon One for loyalty program access.

Launched by Amazon in 2020, Amazon One’s palm-reading technology allows retailers to accept digital payments or allow entry into stores or stadiums without a cashier. It uses biometrics to scan palms to authenticate an individual’s identity. Amazon Go and Whole Foods were among the first physical stores to use Amazon One.

Customers can sign up for Amazon One with or without an Amazon account, but you must sign up with a credit card. Panera customers who are first-time users can register for Amazon One online and complete the process at a restaurant or complete the entire registration at a local coffee shop. If you already have MyPanera and Amazon One, you can link your accounts online.