Eftpos NZ launches biometric Victa terminals in rollout

Eftpos NZ has launched Victa, a new family of payment terminals with biometric functions. New Zealand is among the first markets selected for the Verifone rollout.

The terminals include facial recognition and palm vein technology, which retailers can deploy through their preferred supplier. The systems are intended to support payments, age checks and digital identity verification at the point of sale without physical documents.

The launch places New Zealand at the front of an early rollout in a market where electronic payments are already well established. EFTPOS has been part of everyday commerce in the country for more than 40 years.

Victa is being introduced as a terminal range rather than a single device. The first model in the New Zealand launch is the Portable, which has a 6.7-inch screen and a built-in printer for use at counters and away from them.

Other models in the family include Mobile, Mini, Lane, Register, Unattended, SoftPOS and Ruggedised. The terminals run on Android and are designed to support third-party applications for loyalty, ordering, donations, split payments and open banking.

Age checks

One of the clearest commercial uses is age verification. The biometric functions could be used where customers must prove their age or identity, including liquor stores, supermarkets, hospitality venues, pharmacies, telecommunications retailers and bank branches.

The company said this could reduce pressure on frontline staff and lower the risk of human error during checks. Verifone has already carried out proof-of-concept trials overseas, including biometric age verification on vending machines selling restricted products.

That international work offers some indication of how the New Zealand rollout may develop at merchant level, although timing will depend on individual retailers. Adoption of biometric functions will occur when retailers choose to implement them.

Kristy Gregory, Head of Merchant Sales and Strategic Partners at Eftpos NZ, described the product as a response to local demand for new payment options.

"New Zealanders welcome innovation, and Victa will give retail customers a new way to pay that is safe, convenient and on their terms," Gregory said.

She said consumers would gain access to the system over time as retailers adopt it.

"As the technology is rolled out by retailers, New Zealanders will have different ways they can pay, including biometrics for those who choose it. EFTPOS has been part of daily life here for over 40 years. We have the infrastructure, the relationships and the reach to ensure New Zealanders have access to the most capable, most secure payments platform in the world," Gregory said.

Wider role

Beyond biometrics, the terminal range is intended to handle a broader set of merchant services. Tokenised loyalty features could allow returning customers to be recognised without a physical loyalty card.

The company also highlighted accessibility features, including haptic feedback and audio cues for screen navigation. The devices are made with 60% recycled plastics and shipped without single-use packaging.

Listed security specifications include PCI 7.x, PCI DSS Level 1 and P2PE encryption, alongside what the company described as privacy-first tokenisation. Eftpos NZ said the devices are built to last a full shift on one charge, with a minimum battery rating of 12 hours.

Market footprint

Eftpos NZ serves more than 90,000 businesses across the country, from sole traders to larger organisations. As part of Verifone, the combined operation manages more than 115,000 payment devices and websites in New Zealand and processes about 700 million transactions a year.

The launch reflects a push to make the payment terminal a more central part of store operations rather than a standalone checkout tool. For merchants considering new uses for the hardware, the extent of any shift will depend on how quickly biometric acceptance, loyalty integration and identity checks move from trial and optional deployment into routine use.