Mastercard brings passkeys for payments to MENA following India launch

Mastercard is bringing its passkey service for digital payments to the Middle East and North Africa through a partnership with noon Payments, a payment service provider in the MENA region. This follows Mastercard enabling passkeys for payments in India two months prior.

Starting in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), noon Payments will be the first platform to implement this new system, with the company confirming plans to expand it further.

The Payment Passkey Service offers an alternative to traditional online checkout methods by using device-based biometric authentication, such as fingerprints or facial recognition, or PINs instead of one-time passwords (OTPs).

The company notes that the goal is to improve both the speed and security of online transactions, in a bid to reduce the risks associated with OTPs, which are increasingly susceptible to fraud tactics like phishing, SIM swapping, and message interception. For in-person payments, Mastercard also views biometrics as a growing trend toward more seamless interactions across various experiences.

“We’re excited to collaborate with global tech leaders like Mastercard to enhance payment experiences for our customers and merchants. A key part of our mission is to empower local merchants and consumers with innovative solutions,” says Hisham Zarka, CTO of noon Payments.

“The Mastercard payment passkey service boosts data protection and simplifies online checkout. We look forward to helping noon Payments’ merchants and customers fully benefit from this exciting new service.”

noon Payments, founded in 2016 and supported by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, provides customized payment solutions for businesses across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. The company’s collaboration with Mastercard reflects its commitment to offering innovative, secure payment services that cater to the evolving needs of both merchants and consumers.

“Mastercard is committed to building a robust digital payment ecosystem where every transaction is secured. Today, billions of people comfortably use their face or biometrics to unlock their devices, bypassing passwords altogether,” says Jorn Lambert, chief product officer at Mastercard.

“We’re pushing our technology to deliver even more with payment passkeys – bringing an even better digital experience and offering security peace-of-mind for consumers and businesses alike. Partnering with noon Payments marks a significant step towards advancing payment authentication in the region.”

Mastercard’s payment passkey uses tokenization technology, replacing sensitive card data with a token. During checkout, consumers can choose their Mastercard and confirm their identity using biometric data stored on their devices, completing transactions without sharing sensitive information.

Payments were one of the use cases for passkeys that this week’s Authenticate conference focused on, with a dedicated track on the last day of the event that included a presentation from Mastercard that emphasized the increasing importance of biometric authentication and payment passkeys.

Article Topics

biometric authentication  |  biometric payments  |  biometrics  |  Mastercard  |  Middle East  |  passkeys  |  passwordless authentication  |  Payment Passkey Service