Stripe and NEC Collaborate to Pioneer Face Recognition Payments at Checkout

November 5, 2025 • FinTech News
Stripe and NEC Collaborate to Pioneer Face Recognition Payments at Checkout

At the 2025 Singapore Fintech Festival, Stripe and NEC Corporation showcased their latest innovation—integrating NEC’s world-leading face recognition technology with Stripe’s unified commerce solution to enable secure, hands-free payments via Stripe’s Point of Sale (POS) terminals.​

Technology and Deployment

The collaboration utilizes the Stripe Reader S700, a Wi-Fi-enabled, smartphone-like payment terminal designed for both handheld and countertop use. By integrating NEC’s face recognition service—rated No. 1 in accuracy by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)—the solution allows consumers to authenticate payments simply by scanning their faces, eliminating the need for cards or cash and offering a truly contactless experience.​

Daniel Heffernan, Product Lead for Stripe Japan, highlighted, “Through this collaboration, Stripe is proud to support NEC’s world-renowned face recognition technology, enabling its use for payments through our unified commerce solution.” He emphasized the goal of enhancing the shopping experience globally through secure and seamless AI-enabled payment authentication.​

NEC’s Corporate Senior Vice President, Kazuhisa Shimizu, noted that the advanced customizability of Stripe Terminal combined with NEC’s biometric technology addresses a wide range of challenges in face-to-face payment scenarios, aiming to create a world where customers can utilize digital payment technologies safely and conveniently.​

Benefits and Market Impact

The integrated system promises multiple benefits:

  • Speed and Convenience: Payments completed within seconds without physical interaction, accelerating checkout flow.
  • Enhanced Security: NEC’s anti-spoofing technology and biometric precision reduce fraud and identity theft risks.
  • Customer Experience: The touchless nature of face payment is particularly appealing in a post-pandemic retail environment, prioritizing hygiene and user comfort.​

The fusion of Stripe’s global payments infrastructure with NEC’s biometrics innovation sets a new standard for in-person commerce, positioning both companies at the forefront of payment technology evolution.

Future Outlook

This demo is a precursor to broader deployments expected in Stripe’s 25 operating countries. Face recognition payments could soon become mainstream in retail, hospitality, and transportation sectors, aided by increasing consumer acceptance and regulatory clarity around biometric data.

As AI and biometric authentication technologies advance, combined solutions such as Stripe and NEC’s will likely drive the next wave of innovation in frictionless, secure payments—reshaping the retail experience worldwide by 2027 and beyond.