PalmPay – “Your hand is your wallet.”

“PalmPay – AI-powered biometric payment system. Pay with your palm, no cash, no card, no phone. Secure, fast & tourist-friendly.”

Project Story – PalmPay: Biometric Payment System

Inspiration

The idea for PalmPay was born out of a simple question: What if you could make payments without carrying cash, cards, or even a phone? We noticed that even though UPI and digital wallets are common, they still depend on smartphones, internet availability, or remembering passwords/PINs. For tourists, the challenge is even greater—they may not have local wallets, SIM cards, or banking apps. This inspired us to create a solution where your identity itself becomes your wallet—secure, contactless, and always with you.

What it does

PalmPay is a biometric palm recognition payment system that allows both permanent and temporary users (tourists) to make transactions just by scanning their palm.

Permanent Users: Register once with their palm and wallet, then use it anytime.

Tourists: Register with a temporary wallet and enjoy seamless payments during their stay.

Admins: Can manage users, wallets, and transactions.

Users don’t need to carry phones or cards. Simply scan your palm → system verifies identity → payment is deducted from the linked wallet.

How we built it

Frontend (by Rushikesh): A clean GUI where users can register, view balance, and make payments.

Backend (by Samarth): Wallet management system that connects palm recognition outputs to payment processing. Handles user data, balances, and transaction history.

AI/ML (by Prerana): Palm recognition model for identifying and verifying users. Includes both permanent and tourist registration with time-limited validity.

We used Python, OpenCV, TensorFlow, SQLite, and Tkinter to integrate all components into a working prototype.

Challenges we ran into

Designing a palm recognition system that works with limited training images.

Creating a temporary wallet system for tourists that automatically expires.

Integrating AI + GUI + backend in a short hackathon timeline.

Accomplishments that we’re proud of

A working prototype where both permanent users and tourists can register and pay.

Smooth integration of palm recognition with a wallet system.

Building a practical, real-world solution with clear social impact—especially useful for tourists and cashless environments.

What we learned

We learned the importance of team collaboration, as each part (AI, backend, frontend) had to perfectly connect. We also gained hands-on experience in biometric recognition, GUI integration, and payment logic within a hackathon deadline.

What’s next

Expanding to cloud integration for scalability.

Adding multi-currency support for international tourists.

Improving accuracy of palm recognition with larger datasets.

Hardware integration with a real palm scanner device.