Handwave, a European startup specializing in palm biometrics, has locked in a deeper partnership with payments heavyweight Visa. The expanded deal folds Visa’s tokenization and authentication tools directly into Handwave’s card enrollment system, marking what both companies describe as a critical move toward mainstream palm-based payments across Europe.
The timing matters. Consumer appetite for biometric payments keeps climbing, yet trust lags behind. Handwave’s own research suggests nearly half of U.S. consumers would use palm payments if security and privacy guarantees existed. Meanwhile, fresh Aevi data shows 62 percent of Americans expect biometric payments to dominate in-person transactions soon, though just 37 percent trust firms to safeguard that data.
Under the new integration, Visa’s Token Management Service will link cards to a user’s palm biometrics by swapping sensitive card details for secure digital tokens. Real-time fraud monitoring comes through Visa’s Decision Manager, ensuring palm payments clear the same compliance bar as traditional cards. The companies also plan to embed Handwave into the Visa Acceptance Platform, letting merchants and acquirers already on Visa’s rails adopt palm payments more easily.
Handwave’s technology measures vein structure, depth, hand shape, skin properties, and blood flow for liveness detection. Enrollment takes seconds, according to the company. A phone camera can scan a palm, and cards get added much like any leading digital wallet.
Chief Revenue Officer Oskars Lakšēvics frames the deal as the foundation for everyday biometric payments. He emphasizes that the simplicity masks infrastructure engineered for strict security, compliance, and performance standards.
The Riga-based firm now gears up for pilot programs with major Baltic banks and retailers, targeting production rollouts within a year. Visa’s Baltic market manager Juris Paegle notes that biometric payments increasingly shape how people envision the future of commerce. He adds that Visa’s role involves enabling such innovations while preserving trust, security, and consumer choice.
Beyond technology, Visa will support Handwave through market development, marketing, and expansion efforts beyond the Baltics into broader identity verification markets. As a result, the runway looks clear. The challenge now: winning customer confidence.
