PayMore to Launch Palm and Iris Biometric Payments for GCC Mobile Users

PayMore is set to introduce palm and iris biometric authentication to its consumer app in the GCC, alongside an upcoming Android launch on Google Play. For fintech professionals, this represents a significant shift from hardware-dependent institutional biometric pilots to consumer-led mobile integration, potentially streamlining online shopping and subscription management across the Middle East.

What was announced

PayMore, which provides prepaid virtual cards for online shopping and digital services, is expanding its platform's accessibility and security features. The company confirmed that its Android application will soon be available on Google Play, complementing its existing services. Central to this update is the integration of palm and iris biometric payment capabilities. This technology allows users to authorize transactions using their palm or eyes, removing the need for manual entry of card numbers, passwords, or one-time codes.

The biometric technology has been developed through strategic partnerships and is currently undergoing pilots with various financial institutions and payment companies that utilize PayMore’s underlying systems and data. While the UAE and Saudi Arabia have seen government-led initiatives for palm-vein and facial recognition, these typically rely on dedicated physical terminals. PayMore’s approach brings these capabilities directly to the consumer’s smartphone in a localized app available in both Arabic and English. By offering both palm and iris verification within a single interface, the company aims to become one of the first consumer-facing apps in the GCC region to provide such a dual-biometric solution for digital payments.

"Paying online in the GCC should be as simple as who you are. With palm and iris payment, our users won't need to remember a password or reach for a card; their hand or a glance will be enough. We're proud to be on track to be among the first in the GCC to bring this to consumers, and we're building it in Arabic and English from day one."

Ali Almosa

The companies involved

PayMore is a fintech provider focused on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) market, operating via its website at paymore.com.tr. The firm specializes in consumer-facing mobile financial services, specifically providing prepaid virtual cards designed for the digital economy, including e-commerce and subscription-based services. Led by Founder and CEO Ali Almosa, the company positions itself as a bridge between advanced biometric security and everyday consumer transactions.

In a region where digital transformation is heavily influenced by national visions—such as those in the UAE and Saudi Arabia—PayMore operates within a competitive landscape that is increasingly moving toward passwordless authentication. Unlike traditional banking incumbents that may focus on physical infrastructure or branch-based biometrics, PayMore’s model is built on a mobile-first approach. The company’s reliance on partnerships with financial institutions and payment providers suggests a strategy where its proprietary systems and data layers support broader institutional pilots while maintaining a direct relationship with the end-user through its localized application.

What this means

This move signals a pivot in the GCC’s biometric landscape from institutional infrastructure to consumer-led adoption. While government-led pilots in the UAE and Saudi Arabia have validated the technology, the real test for biometrics lies in daily friction reduction for online retail. By bypassing the physical terminal requirement, PayMore is challenging the necessity of traditional hardware in the biometric loop. This puts pressure on traditional card issuers and digital wallets to accelerate their own passwordless roadmaps. The success of this rollout will likely depend on consumer trust regarding biometric data privacy, a hurdle that remains the primary barrier to universal adoption in the digital payments sector.