BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Panera Bread customers soon may be able to access the bakery-café’s loyalty program and pay for meals with a wave of a hand — or, more accurately, a palm.
- Panera Bread is piloting a palm-reading payment system for loyalty members
- The bakery-cafe chain is also rolling out a hand-free ordering system
- There are more than a dozen Panera locations in the Lehigh Valley
“After a simple scan of the palm, Panera associates will be able to greet guests by name, communicate their available rewards, reorder their favorite menu items or take another order of their choice, extending the guest experience into a true and meaningful relationship,” according to a news release from the company.
“When they are done ordering, guests can simply scan their palm again to pay.”
Last week, Panera officials announced a new partnership with Amazon One for loyalty identification for MyPanera, a membership rewards program, as well as a contactless payment method.
Some St. Louis, Missouri, locations already are pilots for the program.
There are more than 100 Panera stores in Pennsylvania, with about a dozen in the Lehigh Valley. There are three in Allentown, one in Bethlehem and two in Easton.
Company officials did not respond to a request for comment, which included questions about when Valley residents could expect the new technology in the region’s stores.
Introducing Amazon One, as a frictionless, personalized and convenient service, is another way we’re redefining the loyalty experience.Panera CEO Niren Chaudhary
'Guest-centri digital thinking'
Panera Chief Executive Officer Niren Chaudhary said, “Collaborating with Amazon Web Services to bring this service into our bakery-cafes is a natural extension of the tech-forward, guest-centric digital thinking that Panera is known for.
“Our philosophy has been centered around leveraging best-in-class technology to create a better Panera experience and using that to deepen our relationship with our loyal guests.
“Introducing Amazon One, as a frictionless, personalized and convenient service, is another way we’re redefining the loyalty experience.”
Amazon One is a payment system based on biometrics using a person’s palm print. It’s already in use by some retailers, including Whole Foods Market, Amazon Go and Amazon Go Grocery.
However, Panera is the first national restaurant company to use the technology as both a way for guests to pay and access their loyalty account with only their palm.
Doubling down with Amazon
The program is optional, but Amazon One and its parent company, Amazon, already have gotten criticism over privacy concerns and risks of a data breach.
But it seems like Panera is doubling-down in their partnership with the e-commerce company. A week after it announced the Amazon One pilot, officials rolled out another program that lets MyPanera members order via Alexa on Echo Show devices for pick-up or delivery.
“While our guests love the Panera app, we know there are times where it’s just more convenient to be hands-free and order by voice, and we are thrilled to work with Amazon to design and offer another convenient way to order Panera,” Panera Chief Digital Officer George Hanson said.
“We’re continuing to push the boundaries of what we can do to make our MyPanera members’ lives easier, and we’re just at the beginning of what is possible in the world of conversational commerce.”
Once a resident has signed up for the MyPanera loyalty program, those with an Echo Show device can start ordering by simply saying, “Alexa, order Panera.”
