A new biometric payment system called PalmAI, developed by Positivo Tecnologia and Tencent Cloud, offers palm-based Pix transfers in Brazil, aiming to streamline transactions at high-traffic venues and potentially transform contactless payments.
A new payment system in Brazil is aiming to let shoppers authorise Pix transfers with the palm of a hand, removing the need to reach for a phone, card or QR code. The technology, called PalmAI, was developed by Positivo Tecnologia in partnership with Tencent Cloud and was shown publicly at Autocom 2026 in São Paulo, where the companies said it is being pitched to acquirers, retailers and systems integrators.
The system works only after a user enrols their palm in advance. According to the companies, the reader examines both visible features and the vascular pattern beneath the skin, using biometric recognition to identify the person and confirm the transaction in about half a second. In that setup, Pix still handles the transfer itself; the palm scan simply replaces the steps that are normally carried out on a phone.
Positivo and Tencent say the same platform can also be linked to debit and credit cards, with the option to assign different payment methods to different hands. The companies have also highlighted built-in “liveness” checks, designed to help confirm that a real person is present rather than a copied image or other spoofing attempt. Tencent’s product materials describe the broader PayMax system as aimed at large retail and financial environments, with the company claiming very low error rates.
The first commercial use is expected to be concentrated among larger chains and high-traffic venues such as supermarkets, pharmacies and restaurants, where retailers are more likely to invest in compatible readers and back-end integration. Tencent said the terminal should be available to Brazilian acquirers in the second half of 2026, underscoring that wider rollout will depend on adoption by banks, payment processors and merchants.
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