The trial uses Revolut Register terminals equipped with a ‘Pay with Smile’ button. After tapping the button, shoppers complete a facial identity check that works like the biometric unlock on a smartphone, after which the payment is processed.
The pilot is limited to three Kiss the Hippo locations – in Bloomsbury, Chelsea and Soho – and will run throughout the week. Revolut says the service will later expand to all twelve of the chain’s cafés later in the year.
Revolut stressed that participation is voluntary; customers are not enrolled automatically and can withdraw their consent at any time. The firm also announced a 0 % processing fee for Pay with Smile transactions, a move it says is intended to ease cost pressures on independent venues.
Alex Damgaci, managing director of Kiss the Hippo Coffee, welcomed the trial, saying the cafés are eager to let guests try the new checkout method before the broader rollout across the brand’s locations.