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Visa to pilot Pay with Your Face payment solution at FIFA World Cup in Qatar


Payments technology company Visa is piloting a Pay with Your Face payments solution at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 targeting the more than 1 million fans attending the competition.

The solution will allow customers to authenticate payments using just their face, without a physical card or mobile phone after initial enrollment. It will be piloted at three Flat White Specialty Coffee branches. This will be the first-time this facial recognition technology will be used for payments in Qatar. The pilot is a collaboration between Qatar National Bank (QNB) and POP ID and supported by Visa via tokenization.

The move, the firm which is the Official Payment Technology Partner of FIFA says will enable contactless purchases throughout all official venues, including eight stadiums and the FIFA Fan Festival.

Visa has already installed More than 5,300 contactless-enabled payment terminals at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Other pilots Visa will be running include a digital card issuance solution for limited cardholders in Doha. After simply scanning a QR code, a digital prepaid card will be instantly issued and can be added to a mobile wallet. The digital card will feature animated card art, with the official mascot La’eeb, demonstrating a future in which consumers could bring greater personalization and even digital animation to their Visa cards.  The firm has also partnered with three Qatar-based banks to make the Visa Tap to Phone solution available to merchants in Qatar who want to fast-track their ability to accept digital payments in advance of the expected tourist influx. Visa Tap to Phone makes it easier for merchants to use their Android NFC-enabled devices they already own to accept contactless payments—simply by downloading an app.

To keep traffic flowing smoothly during FIFA World Cup Visa, in partnership with Qatar’s Ministry of Transport, is enabling contactless payment acceptance on taxis so fans and Qatari residents will be able pay for their trips with their Visa card or smartphone, making paying for their journeys in and around Doha faster and more convenient.

“As FIFA’s long-standing partner, Visa wants to give football fans from around the world the best way to pay in Qatar, while experiencing exciting new innovations such as the fusion of art, football and technology at Visa’s Masters of Movement venue. With thousands of contactless payment terminals, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ promises to be the most payment-enabled FIFA tournament ever for the more than one million fans coming to enjoy the magic of football.” Aida Diarra, Senior Vice President & Head of Sub-Saharan Africa at Visa said.

Earlier this month, Visa unveiled Visa Masters of Movement, a first-of its-kind hybrid experience featuring an interactive pitch at the FIFA Fan Festival™ in Doha where fans will be able to create digital art inspired by their own signature movements. Eligible fans will have the option to mint this digital art into their own NFT in partnership with Crypto.com.

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Nixon Kanali

Tech journalist based in Nairobi. I track and report on tech and African startups. Founder and Editor of TechTrends Media. Nixon is also the East African tech editor for Africa Business Communities. Send tips to nkanali@techtrendske.co.ke.

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