More banks roll out Face ID login option

Singapore’s OCBC Bank, Britian’s Tesco Bank and Westpac in Australia have updated their mobile banking apps to enable iPhone X customers to login and authenticate payments using facial recognition.

OCBC Bank has launched OneLook, which uses facial recognition to enable payments and access account information through the bank’s app. The feature can be used on the iPhone X across all of OCBC’s financial apps. Just like OCBC Bank’s OneTouch fingerprint authentication, OCBC OneLook was developed entirely by OCBC Bank’s in-house mobile developer team.

“We understand that business owners want immediate access to banking information wherever they are so that they can effectively manage their day-to-day operations and make decisions on the go,” explained Gregory Trotter, head of cash management, global transaction banking, OCBC Bank. “That is why we are introducing OCBC OneLook for our app, so that business owners who are early adopters of the iPhone X can continue to use biometric authentication to access banking information quickly, conveniently and securely.”

Tesco Bank has also updated its mobile banking app. Using the iPhone X’s Face ID technology, Tesco Bank customers will be able to access Tesco Bank Mobile Banking, view their accounts and manage their money.

“We know customers love using our mobile banking app to quickly and easily manage their money,” said Grant Bourbousson, director of digital and customer 2020 at Tesco Bank. “This addition illustrates our continued commitment to developing digital services that utilise the latest technologies available, and which really meet our customers’ needs. This is a simple, convenient and helpful development for Tesco Bank customers.”

And finally, customers of Westpac and its subsidiaries will be able to use Apple’s Face ID service to login to its mobile banking apps. This follows recent news that the Commonwealth Bank of Australia had updated its mobile banking app to support facial recognition.

According to a blog post by Westpac’s General Manager, Consumer Digital, Travis Tyler, the bank says it will consider bringing support for face-based authentication to its Android apps if Google’s mobile platform adds support for a Face ID-style service.

“Our customers want simpler, faster logins when banking on the go,” explained Tyler. “Now it’s the next evolution of biometrics in banking, where customer interactions are less about what they can remember and more about who they are. It’s only likely to further grow as data is opened up. The next phase will involve how your digital foot print is becoming your digital DNA, with you everywhere you go and helping keep your data and money safe.”

Article Topics

authentication  |  banking  |  biometrics  |  Face ID  |  facial recognition  |  mobile app