Handwave, a Riga-based fintech developing palm-based biometric payment and identity solutions, has expanded its partnership with Visa to support the rollout of biometric payments across Europe. Under the agreement, Handwave will integrate Visa’s tokenisation, authentication and fraud-prevention technologies to securely link payment cards to users’ palms and enable faster card onboarding through its platform. Visa will also provide market insights, marketing support and access to its partner network, while the companies work toward making Handwave available through the Visa Acceptance Platform, potentially allowing banks, acquirers and merchants already connected to Visa’s infrastructure to integrate the technology. The Baltics will serve as the initial launch market, with Handwave already in discussions with banking and retail partners for pilots expected to progress to production deployments later this year.
Handwave is a fintech company developing biometric payment and identity technology based on palm recognition. Its platform enables users to link payment cards, loyalty programmes and identity information to their palm, with applications including payments, loyalty activation and age verification. The company is developing its technology as an acceptance layer that can work with existing payment infrastructure used by banks, acquirers and merchants.
“This agreement is a major step forward in making biometric payments ready for everyday use,” said Oskars Lakšēvics, Chief Revenue Officer at Handwave. “We’re building a platform where onboarding your palm and payment card takes seconds. A palm can be scanned with a regular phone camera, while cards are added as easily as in any leading digital wallet. Behind that simplicity is infrastructure built to meet the highest global standards for security, compliance, and performance.”
Visa is a global payments technology company operating a network that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments. The company provides payment infrastructure and technologies covering card payments, tokenisation, authentication, fraud prevention and digital transactions. Visa works with financial institutions, merchants, technology providers and other partners to facilitate electronic payments across its network.
“Biometric payments are increasingly becoming part of how people think about the future of paying,” said Juris Paegle, Country Manager for Visa in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. “Visa’s role is to help enable these innovations in ways that maintain trust, security, and choice. By connecting our infrastructure with solutions like Handwave’s, we support experiences that make paying and getting paid more seamless – without compromising on the protections people expect when they use Visa.”
The agreement enables Handwave to integrate Visa technologies for safe, seamless card onboarding – allowing users to add cards quickly in the app. This is a key step toward scaling palm‑based payments across Europe. Handwave will leverage Visa’s tokenisation and authentication capabilities to securely link cards to a user’s palm, replacing sensitive data with secure digital tokens that protect consumers and merchants. Access to fraud prevention and risk tools, including Visa’s Decision Manager, enables real‑time monitoring – ensuring biometric payments meet the same security and compliance standards as traditional cards, while delivering a fast, frictionless checkout experience.
Biometric payments are fast emerging as one of the safest options available to consumers today, and consumer appetite is evolving to acknowledge this. According to research Handwave published in March 2026, nearly half of US consumers would adopt palm-based payments if security and privacy were guaranteed.
Younger shoppers are leading the demand, with 46% of 25–34 year-olds trusting biometrics recognition (e.g. facial, fingerprint) as a safe way of making payments or processing loyalty program claims, compared to 28% of over-55s. Across all age groups, 48% say they would use palm payments regularly if trust in data handling was assured, underscoring that confidence in security remains the decisive factor in mainstream adoption.
Beyond technology, Visa will support Handwave with market development, marketing initiatives, and data-driven insights to accelerate expansion across European markets. This includes identifying priority regions beyond the Baltics, which will serve as the initial launch market for biometric payments and identity verification.
In parallel, Handwave and Visa are working towards enabling the solution within the Visa Acceptance Platform. This will allow acquirers and merchants already using Visa’s infrastructure to easily integrate and offer Handwave’s biometric payment solution – significantly expanding distribution potential across global markets.
Handwave is currently in advanced discussions with leading banking and retail partners in the Baltics, preparing to launch pilot programs that will bring palm-based payments into everyday retail environments. The company expects to move into production deployments within this year.
This expanded agreement builds on Handwave’s earlier collaboration with Visa, which focused on integrating Visa’s Token Management Service (TMS) to enable secure, tokenised biometric payments across Visa’s global network.
Read the orginal article: https://arcticstartup.com/handwave-partners-with-visa-2/
