Revolut Trials Face-Based Checkout in UK Stores with Zero Merchant Fees

Revolut has begun testing Revolut Pay with Smile, a facial recognition payment system for brick-and-mortar stores in the United Kingdom. The company positions this as the country's first face-based checkout technology for retail environments.

Shoppers who opt into the programme through the Revolut mobile application can complete transactions by simply glancing at the terminal — no phone, card, or wallet required. The platform cross-references a customer's face with the selfie identification photo submitted during initial account registration.

Payments are verified through this biometric match, with all transaction data protected by end-to-end encryption within the app. Revolut emphasises that merchants do not retain any customer personal information on their systems.

The facial recognition feature runs on Revolut Register, a newly introduced point-of-sale device targeting hospitality merchants. The dual-screen terminal integrates payment processing, banking functions, and floor management in a single modular unit.

One standout feature is a built-in eSIM backup connection, designed to keep terminals operational even when primary internet links fail. Revolut notes this addresses a common friction point: more than half of UK consumers report experiencing checkout delays or outright failures when merchant networks drop.

Merchants adopting the system will pay 0% processing fees on transactions conducted through Revolut Pay with Smile. This pricing approach marks a departure from traditional interchange models and could appeal to cost-conscious hospitality operators.

With over half of Brits reporting delays or failures due to merchants dropping internet signals, checkout friction is driving customers out the door. To solve this, we're deploying Revolut's full technological ecosystem to reinvent the mechanics of the hospitality industry and give consumers the payments experience they deserve.

That statement came from Alex Codina, general manager of merchant payments at Revolut Business. He added that the initiative combines high-performance processing with biometric technology to replace what the company sees as outdated, fragmented till systems.

Revolut frames the pilot as both a product trial and a pathway to a new revenue stream, extending its payments capabilities beyond card issuing and peer-to-peer transfers into in-store biometric checkout infrastructure. Customers interested in participating can enrol directly through the Revolut app.