Google Pay to add device biometrics for Mastercard payments in India

Mastercard and Google Pay plan to allow users in India to authenticate eligible card payments with a fingerprint or face scan on their smartphones.

The optional biometric authentication feature will be available through participating issuing banks to customers with an eligible Mastercard saved in Google Pay.

Mastercard says it is intended for utility bills, mobile recharges, and eligible online merchant checkouts.

The companies previewed the feature at Global Fintech Fest and expect to begin rolling it out by the end of 2026.

“By leveraging the biometric capabilities already available on smartphones, we aim to make everyday payments faster and more intuitive,” says Ravi Datla, senior vice president for Customer Solutions, South Asia at Mastercard.

Mastercard says the Google Pay feature will use its Consumer Device Cardholder Verification Method (CDCVM) to verify users on their devices and reduce dependence on one-time SMS passwords.

This is separate from tokenization. A payment token protects card details used in a transaction, while CDCVM verifies that the person using the device is authorized to approve the payment.

Mastercard and Google Pay introduced tokenized card payments in India in 2021. The planned biometric feature adds cardholder verification to that existing card payment arrangement.

Mastercard has previously piloted fingerprint and face-based biometric for online card payments in India through its Payment Passkey Service.

Native device biometrics have also reached Indian card checkout through payment gateways. PayU introduced Flash Pay as an authentication option using fingerprint or face biometrics, with an SMS OTP as a fallback.

Mastercard’s strategy for Asia combines tokenized payment credentials with biometric authentication as consumers increasingly use mobile devices for online commerce.

Tencent also plans to use integrated Mastercard Click to Pay for cross-border purchases in its mobile gaming ecosystem.

The planned rollout also follows a change in India’s digital payment rules that gives banks and payment companies flexibility in how they authenticate users.

The Reserve Bank of India’s authentication directions took effect on April 1, 2026, giving payment providers more flexibility to use alternatives to SMS one-time passwords.

The framework requires at least two different authentication factors. These can be based on something the customer knows, possesses or is, including biometric factors.

Mastercard and Google have not identified the participating issuers that will support the biometric feature or specified which Mastercard credit and debit cards will qualify.

Article Topics

biometric authentication  |  biometric payments  |  biometrics  |  Google Pay  |  India  |  Mastercard