Revolut, the UK licensed bank, has launched the initial pilot of Revolut Pay with Smile, a facial recognition checkout system described as the first of its kind for in-store payments in the United Kingdom. The service is being introduced at select Kiss the Hippo cafes in London from 24th to 26th September. The pilot is powered by Revolut Register, the company's new hospitality point of sale hardware, and offers merchants zero percent processing fees on all transactions.
How Facial Recognition Checkout Works
Revolut Pay with Smile authenticates each transaction by comparing a live facial scan against the selfie identification checks customers completed when they first signed up to Revolut. The verification process is designed to be secure and removes the need for a wallet or a phone at the point of sale. Once customers opt in through the Revolut app, their identity can be confirmed at the register without additional payment instruments.
Addressing Merchant Cost Pressures
Revolut's research highlights the financial strain that traditional payment systems place on independent venues. Independent hospitality businesses spend an average of £875 per month on processing and infrastructure, while pubs and bars face monthly costs above £950. Terminal outages add another £2,495 in direct lost revenue every year, making low cost processing a significant priority for merchants.
The burden is not only financial. According to Revolut, two thirds of independent venues experience verbal outbursts from customers multiple times a week because of poor checkout experiences. Payment friction such as delays or failures caused by dropped internet signals affects more than half of British consumers, and Revolut Pay with Smile is intended to reduce these disruptions.
Pilot Availability and Customer Incentives
During the three day pilot, Revolut customers in London can try the technology at Kiss the Hippo cafes in Bloomsbury, Chelsea and Soho. Guests who pay with a smile can order from a special Revolut menu and purchase specialty coffees for £1. Revolut customers who opt in through the app will also earn triple RevPoints on every transaction.
Revolut Register is available at a 50 percent discount for £349.50 plus VAT, reduced from £699 plus VAT, on a merchant's first terminal until 31st December 2026. The offer applies to both new and existing customers who want to modernise their checkout infrastructure. Revolut Pay with Smile transactions will always carry zero percent processing fees, giving merchants ongoing savings.
Executive Perspectives
Alex Codina, General Manager of Merchant Payments at Revolut Business, said that checkout friction is driving customers out the door and that the company is deploying its full technological ecosystem to reinvent hospitality payments. He explained that combining high performance processing with facial recognition technology will replace outdated, fragmented tills with a hyper efficient checkout experience. The goal is to solve consumer and merchant pain points in a single system.
Alex Damgaci, Managing Director at Kiss the Hippo Coffee, noted that a seamless checkout is no longer a luxury in hospitality but the bare minimum. He said technology that removes friction and offers payment flexibility gives operators the reliability they need to protect revenue and maintain guest satisfaction. To mark the pilot, Kiss the Hippo has prepared a special three day menu and is welcoming guests to pay with a smile.
Revolut's pilot signals a move toward biometric payment infrastructure that could reduce costs and friction for independent hospitality operators. By combining facial recognition with its new point of sale hardware, the bank aims to give merchants and customers a faster, more reliable checkout experience. The limited run at Kiss the Hippo cafes will serve as an early test of whether paying with a smile can gain wider adoption in the UK market.