Computop launches FIDO-compliant biometric authentication service for online merchants

Payment processor Computop has launched a new PSD2 compliant biometric authentication service for online merchants and banks to allow strong customer authentication (SCA) based on FIDO standards.

The Biometrics by Computop allows merchants to run their own two-factor authentication checks during the payment process without relying on a bank, as PSD2, Visa, and Mastercard all allow third-party customer authentication. Smartphone users can opt for fingerprint, face, or voice biometrics when they log in to a merchant’s app or online store during the checkout process. Computop Biometrics generates a digital signature to be transmitted to issuers with other 3D Secure 2.0 data to prove the merchant’s application of SCA.

Computop says performing the SCA process in advance of the transaction improves conversion rates by avoiding problems with 2FA during the payment process.

“What we are providing with Computop Biometrics is a host of great advantages for retailers. Biometric authentication can be applied to app or shop logins in order to avoid fraudulent account takeovers. This also helps the customer experience, because biometric authentication is so much better than a typical PIN-TAN process,” says Computop CEO Ralf Gladis. “For merchants there is increased complexity with the number of different authentication methods used by banks, but if they are able to process strong consumer authentication themselves, the customer journey will be standardised and easier to support. In addition, the whole process is GDPR compliant, and consumers can be confident in knowing that biometric data will never leave their own device. Computop’s solution will verify cryptographic keys but will never touch cryptographic data.”

Computop is currently implementing the early authentication process with a number of what the company describes as significant retailers.

The Computop Biometrics cloud service can be applied to access control, login procedures, and payment authentication. An SDK is available for Android, and biometric payment authentication will be available with the introduction of 3D Secure 2.0 on September 14.

The European Banking Authority has agreed to conditionally extend the deadline for PSD2 compliance to give online retailers extra time to adopt biometrics and other SCA factors.

Article Topics

authentication  |  banking  |  biometric payments  |  biometrics  |  ecommerce  |  FIDO Alliance  |  mobile  |  secure transactions