Revolut has introduced Pay with Smile, the UK's first in-store facial recognition checkout, which lets consumers pay simply by looking at a terminal. The trial runs until September 26 and started on September 24 at a couple of Kiss the Hippo cafés in London.

Merchants pay no processing fees, and customers who use the Revolut app can pay without a phone or wallet. Revolut Register, the new hospitality point-of-sale system that powers the experience, was also introduced during the testing.

How Revolut Pay with Smile Works

Customers must first use the Revolut app to enable Pay with Smile. After registration, the system verifies the user's identity with the selfie identity check they took when they first registered for Revolut using facial recognition technology.

To authorise a payment for a coffee, dinner, or round of beverages at checkout, clients only need to look at the Revolut Register terminal. You don't need to pull out your wallet, phone, or card. Revolut says that its app manages end-to-end encryption for transactions, and merchants do not keep client personal information on record.

The feature is not turned on by default. Customers have control over whether or not to take part in the trial because they must actively opt in before using it.

Pay with Smile - by @Revolut

😀🚀 pic.twitter.com/IhUJBOyIrN

— Gordon Gekko (@ownsomeshares) September 24, 2026

Revolut Targets Merchant Payment Costs

The launch of pay with smile also addresses the costs incurred by independent venues. According to Revolut's research, independent UK firms spend an average of £875 per month on infrastructure and payment processing. The amount increases to almost £950 a month for pubs and bars.

According to Revolut, venues lose over £2,495 in direct revenue annually due to terminal inactivity. When retailers lose their internet connection, over half of Britons report experiencing payment issues or delays.

According to the company, staff members are also impacted by payment issues. Its research indicates that due to bad checkout experiences, two-thirds of independent venues deal with verbal outbursts from customers several times a week. There will be no processing costs for retailers who use the Pay with Smile system.

The wait is over.

Yesterday we welcomed a handful of journalists and key opinion leaders to unveil our new Revolut Register, exclusively available at Kiss the Hippo locations around London.

They were some of the first to try our Register's built-in Revolut Pay with Smile, the… pic.twitter.com/y1Q62qF6Rd

— Revolut Business (@RevolutBusiness) September 24, 2026

Revolut Register Adds Backup Connectivity

Revolut Register, a modular two-screen point-of-sale system created to integrate floor operations, banking, and payments, drives Pay with Smile.

When a venue's usual internet connection fails, the terminal's built-in eSIM backup is meant to keep it connected. According to Revolut, this is meant to stop terminals from falling offline at peak times.

A 50% discount on the first Register terminal is being given by Revolut to merchants. The suggested retail price is £699 plus VAT; however, the actual price is £349.50 plus VAT. The promotion is valid through December 31, 2026, for both new and current clients. Pay with Smile transactions are still free of processing costs.

London Pilot Offers £1 Coffee

From September 24 to September 26, the initial Pay with Smile trial will only be available at Kiss the Hippo cafés in Bloomsbury, Soho, and Chelsea.

During the three-day trial, customers have access to a special Revolut menu that includes £1 special coffees. Revolut's loyalty program, RevPoints, are earned 3 times for each payment made using Pay with Smile.

According to Kiss the Hippo, the study aims to improve checkout's dependability and flexibility for both staff and consumers. According to Revolut, the trial will add facial recognition checkout to its payments ecosystem and generate new income for the business.

If you find any issues in this article or notice missing information, please feel free to reach out at team@etherworld.co for clarifications or updates.

To promote your Web3 articles, events, and projects, you may reach out anytime via EtherWorld PR for submissions and collaboration.

Related Articles

1. S&P Global to Acquire OpenZeppelin
2. Derive.xyz Bets Big on On-Chain Options Trading
3. CoinEx Shuts Down After Nine Years
4. Bitcoin ETFs Lose $463M, Ethereum ETFs Gain $197M
5. Revolut Shares Customer Data After Fake Government Email

To follow blockchain news, track Ethereum protocol progress, and read our latest stories, subscribe to our weekly today.

Join the EtherWorld & Avarch Internship Program and build your career in blockchain, content, social media, video, podcast editing, or operations. Send your resume and brief introduction to contact@etherworld.co.