Chinese tech conglomerate Tencent has teamed up with Visa to take its palm recognition technology for digital payments international, beginning with Singapore.

Under the deal, Visa cardholders from participating Singapore banks, including DBS, OCBC, and UOB, will take part in a pilot programme.

Participants will carry out a one-time enrolment at the merchant point of sale, where they will be invited to tap their Visa card, scan their palm and complete authentication.

Once they have enrolled, a Visa payment token will be bound to their palm biometric template, allowing them to make future payments at participating merchants by simply waving their palm - no cards or phones required.

Stressing its security credentials, Tencent says it operates a two-step process that verifies both palm prints and the unique patterns of veins under the skin. User data is encrypted for storage in a manner that is irreversible, preventing decryption, theft, or reuse by other third parties.

Adeline Kim, Visa country manager, Singapore and Brunei, says: "Based on our biometrics study, close to seven in 10 Singapore consumers see this as a secure way to pay. Our aim is to enhance the payment experience and ensure that our customers can enjoy seamless transactions with the highest level of security."

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