Cali Group Pilots Face-Based Loyalty Program

Cali Group, owners of the CaliBurger restaurant chain, has begun testing artificial intelligence-enabled self-ordering kiosks at one of its restaurants. The kiosks use NEC's NeoFace facial recognition software to identify registered customers and pull up their loyalty accounts and order preferences.

The kiosk pilot program is now at CaliBurger's Pasadena, Calif., location. If customers are pleased with the new ordering experience, the kiosks will be rolled out to CaliBurger's global locations next year. Also in 2018, the platform will be used to allow customers to pay using their faces.

Customers can activate their loyalty accounts as they approach the kiosks without needing to swipe a card or type in identifying information. The loyalty account shows a customer's favorite historical meal packages, enabling them to complete the ordering transaction in a matter of seconds.

"Face-based loyalty significantly reduces the friction associated with loyalty program registration and use; further, it enables a restaurant chain like CaliBurger to provide a customized, one-on-one interactive experience at the ordering kiosk," said John Miller, chairman and CEO of Cali Group, in a statement. "Our goal for 2018 is to replace credit card swipes with face-based payments. Facial recognition is part of our broader strategy to enable the restaurant and retail industries to provide the same kinds of benefits and conveniences in the built world that customers experience with retailers like Amazon in the digital world."

"NEC's face recognition software technology is considered among the world's most accurate, making it an ideal tool for retailers seeking to provide the best possible customer service and convenience for their customers," said Matt Worley, vice president of retail solutions at NEC Corporation of America, in a statement. "We are committed to helping Cali Group reinvent the customer experience in the best ways possible."

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