Contactless payments got a major boost this week through new features rolled out by Amazon and Square.

Why should we care?
Amazon is testing a new biometric payment feature that will allow consumers to pay with their hands. To onboard, consumers have to insert their card into a device, and after doing so, they’ll hover their palms over the payment device to associate the palm signature with the payment mechanism. Once their card is on file, customers can pay by waving their hands on the readers. The new tool will likely require some client education to convince consumers this isn’t Touch ID 2.0, but the hope is to create a new use case for contactless transactions. Meanwhile, Square launched a QR code-based ordering tool for brick-and-mortar merchants that use its payment systems, a product that Square says could minimize consumer contact with shared surfaces and enhance business efficiency. It’s a capability that’s well suited for the restaurant industry: Consumers scan a QR code with their personal device and place the order through the seller’s mobile-optimized ordering page, and a staff member brings over the item to the customer.