Javelin Strategy & Research has released its inaugural 2025 Emerging Biometric Authentication at the Point-of-Sale Scorecard, a first-of-its-kind benchmark evaluating the companies defining how biometrics reach the point of sale. Wink has been named Best in Class in the Biometric Authentication as a Service (BAaaS) pillar, alongside Verifone and JP Morgan Payments, each recognized in their respective categories.

This recognition underscores a transformation happening across the payments ecosystem: biometric authentication is moving from isolated pilots to scalable commercial deployment, and the winners will be those who deliver identity in a way that fits existing merchant infrastructure—not disrupts it.

Why Javelin’s scorecard matters

This is the first industry-wide assessment focused not on biometric technology alone, but on how biometric authentication is delivered. Javelin breaks the market into three emerging pillars:

• Biometric Identity & Payment Platforms

• End-to-End Biometric Payment Solutions

• Biometric Authentication as a Service

Wink’s category—BAaaS—is the most infrastructure-agnostic and integration-centered of the three. According to Javelin, this pillar addresses the biggest barrier to market adoption: the need for biometrics that work with the devices, processors, and systems merchants already rely on.

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“Javelin’s recognition affirms what we’ve believed from the beginning: identity should be the foundation of every transaction, not an afterthought. Merchants want biometric authentication that fits the systems they already trust—without new hardware, new processors, or new friction. We built Wink to deliver exactly that. Being named Best in Class in this first scorecard is a milestone for our team and our partners, and it marks the start of a much larger shift toward identity-first commerce across the industry.”

Deepak Jain, CEO & Founder, Wink

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‍Why Wink was recognized as Best in Class

Javelin highlighted several key differentiators that define Wink’s approach:

1. No hardware rip-and-replace

Wink works with existing POS terminals and camera-equipped devices, removing capital and operational friction.

2. Processor-agnostic architecture

Merchants keep their current processor or gateway. Wink layers identity directly into existing payment flows, not around them.

3. Multi-modal biometric authentication

Face, palm, and voice—supported through a modular identity layer that adapts to use case and environment.

4. Cross-channel authentication

Identity unifies in-store, online, and in-app experiences with a reusable biometric credential.

5. A foundation for next-generation checkout

Identity at the start of the transaction collapses loyalty, age verification, stored value, fraud, and payment authorization into a single authentication moment.

How the market is evolving

Javelin describes this scorecard as a “pre-emergence snapshot.” Over the next 18–36 months, biometric authentication at checkout is expected to scale rapidly due to:

• increased merchant interest in frictionless experiences

• rising fraud and chargeback pressure

• the need for ISOs and ISVs to deliver new value-added services

• the shift toward agentic and autonomous commerce

Wink’s flexible deployment model positions us uniquely to support that evolution without imposing ecosystem constraints.

Proud to be recognized alongside industry leaders

Being included alongside JP Morgan Payments and Verifone is meaningful for the entire category. It reflects the diversity of approaches shaping biometric authentication and affirms that open, device-agnostic, processor-agnostic platforms have a crucial role in the future of checkout.

We’re honored by the recognition—and energized for what comes next.

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