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Naver Pay adds facial recognition service for faster airport departures
A promotional image of Naver Pay's Smartpass service / Courtesy of Naver Pay
By Lee Kyung-min
Travelers departing from Incheon International Airport can now clear key checkpoints with a face scan through the Naver Pay app, as the digital payments platform expands its biometric services ahead of the peak summer travel season.
Naver Pay said Monday it has launched Smartpass, the airport's facial recognition departure service, allowing eligible travelers to pass through departure checkpoints and participating boarding gates without presenting their passport or boarding pass.
The service enables users to register their facial information, passport and boarding pass in advance through the Naver Pay app.
After the initial registration, travelers only need to upload their boarding pass before departure to use the service.
The feature is integrated with Naver Pay's facial authentication service, Facesign.
Users who have already enrolled in Facesign would only need to register their passport and boarding pass to activate Smartpass.
The service is available to Korean nationals ages 7 and older, with parental or legal guardian consent needed for children ages 7 to 14.
Once registration is complete, users can access dedicated Smartpass lanes at departure checkpoints and selected boarding gates operated by participating airlines, including Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Air Seoul, Eastar Jet, Jeju Air and Jin Air.
To mark the launch, Naver Pay is offering 3,000 won ($2) in Naver Pay points to users who register for Smartpass and submit their passport information through the app by the end of August.
The Smartpass menu is available under the Convenience section of the Naver Pay app, while details of the promotional event can be found by searching for Smartpass in the app's Finance section.
The company said Facesign has already proven effective at large-scale events and festivals and is expected to provide travelers with a faster and more convenient airport experience during the busy summer vacation season.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.