What Face ID is
Face ID is Apple's facial-recognition feature on compatible iPhones and iPads. A customer looks at the device to authenticate, for example, when unlocking it, signing in to an app or authorizing a purchase. Face ID requires a device passcode during setup.
Face ID relates to biometric payments because it uses a physical characteristic, the customer's face, to confirm identity. Face ID itself is a device-authentication feature. Apple Pay is the payment method that sends payment credentials for a purchase.
Face ID authenticates the customer on their device; Apple Pay carries the payment to your business.
How customers use Face ID to pay
For an in-store Apple Pay purchase, a customer double-clicks the iPhone's side button, looks at the device to authenticate, then holds it near your contactless reader. For an app or Safari purchase, the customer selects Apple Pay, confirms payment details and authenticates on the device.
After authentication, Apple Pay uses a device-specific tokenized card credential instead of sending the card's primary account number to your business. Your payment service provider processes the payment data and submits an authorization request. Face ID does not replace your contactless reader or payment integration.
What Face ID means for your costs and risk
Face ID has no separate merchant fee identified in the available payment details. A customer paying with Face ID through Apple Pay still makes a card transaction, so your processing costs come from accepting that transaction, not from the customer's use of Face ID.
You will not see a Face ID fee or a Face ID authentication result as a distinct processing charge on your merchant statement. The transaction is processed through Apple Pay, and the payment data includes a tokenized card credential. Apple does not verify customer details such as billing or shipping information returned to your app or website, so validate those details when they matter to fulfillment.
What you can actually change
You do not set Face ID or control whether a customer uses it. You control whether your checkout accepts Apple Pay and how your business handles the resulting payment and customer information.
- Confirm your in-store terminal accepts contactless Apple Pay payments.
- Offer Apple Pay in supported app or web checkout, where it fits your customers' buying process.
- Validate billing, shipping and contact details before using them to fulfill an order.
- Review Apple Pay transactions as card payments when reconciling sales and processing costs.
- Test contactless checkout. Run a small Apple Pay purchase at your terminal to confirm it completes and appears in your transaction records.
- Check online support. Confirm your app or website presents Apple Pay at checkout if you want customers to pay there.
- Validate order details. Verify customer-provided contact and delivery information before shipping goods or arranging service.
Frequently asked questions
Is Face ID a payment method?
No. Face ID authenticates a customer on a compatible Apple device. Apple Pay is the payment method that uses the customer's tokenized card credentials to make the purchase.
Does Face ID cost a merchant extra?
The available payment details identify no separate merchant fee for Face ID. A purchase authenticated with Face ID through Apple Pay is still processed as a card transaction, and your processing costs relate to accepting that payment.
Does Face ID send a customer's face to my business?
Face ID authenticates the customer on their device. Your checkout receives Apple Pay payment data, including a tokenized card credential, rather than the customer's face. Customer information such as billing or shipping details is provided separately and is not verified by Apple.