A merchant and a user register with a payment processing system, which establishes a facial template based on a user image. The user signs into a payment application via a user computing device, which receives an identifier from a merchant beacon device to transmit to the payment processing system. The payment processing system transmits facial templates to the merchant point of sale device for the user and for other users who are also signed in to the payment application in range of the merchant beacon device. The merchant POS device determines whether it has a threshold number of facial templates and may request and receive additional facial templates from the payment processing system to meet the threshold. The merchant POS operator selects a facial template corresponding to the user. The merchant POS device transmits transaction details to the payment processing system, which processes a transaction with an issuer system.