Yum China, operator of such brands as KFC in China, has joined forces with mobile payments firm Alipay to bring to China the world’s first facial recognition payment system.Yum China, operator of such brands as KFC in China, has joined forces with mobile payments firm Alipay to bring the world’s first facial recognition payment system to China.

Called the “Smile-to-Pay” system, customers in the Chinese city of Hangzhou can order their meals from a machine installed at a KFC spin-off shop. The machine matches the customer’s face with an on-file image connected to the customer’s Alipay account.

China is paving the way in the facial recognition technology field using it to nab wanted criminals and in place of boarding passes at airports.