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How To Use Biometric Authentication to Make Payments?
The digital era has transformed the way we do the most ordinary things. Since the use of smartphones has spread worldwide, more and more users want to solve everything in one place and in the easiest way. That’s where biometric authentication comes in.
Now, you may be wondering what biometric authentication is. It is a security process based on the fact that users have unique physical characteristics that distinguish them from other individuals. These characteristics are then used to identify a person. Meaning: to confirm that someone is who they say they are.
What are the different biometric authentication methods for payments?
When it comes to online monetary transactions, security is the main issue to be taken into account. But, what’s the best way to provide security to users? The use of biometric payments is the best way to achieve this.
There are several types of biometric authentication. Depending on the kind of transaction and the business that needs it, there will be one or two forms of biometric identification to be used. Among the most commonly employed are:
Fingerprint payments
- This method uses a person’s fingerprint to identify them and let them make a payment.
- It’s the most common type of biometric identification. It’s used, for example, when unlocking almost all smartphones developed in recent years.
- Not only that, but it works by using a fingerprint scanner that registers and recognizes the different shapes in a person’s fingerprint.
- It’s the most reliable technology, given that each person has different fingerprints. There isn’t one person with the same fingerprint as another.
- Users usually sign up in a system and link their cards and bank accounts to their fingerprints. Later, when they want to make a payment in a store, they simply use their fingerprint to make the biometric payment.
Voice recognition payments
- This technology has been used for several years now. For instance, to do a web search on a smartphone.
- Voice recognition takes vocal characteristics of a person’s voice and distinguishes them from those of other people.
- Typical examples of voice recognition are Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant. Such technologies can be integrated to enable voice-only payments.
Facial recognition payments
- This is another biometric solution often used. It’s based on recognizing specific facial characteristics of a person.
- The system scans an individual’s face for measurements. These measurements are known as faceprints.
- Smartphones use facial recognition as much as fingerprints to, for example, access the screen.
- The downside of this type of biometric authentication is that it sometimes confuses one person for another. That’s why it isn’t commonly used as a biometric payment method.
Benefits of using biometric authentication in payments
It can be stated that people want to be able to solve any situation in the easiest and, at the same time, most secure way. In this respect, some benefits of using biometric authentication are:
User experience
Something we hear a lot these days. The experience a user has when interacting with our service or product is essential for them to keep choosing us and recommend us. Biometric authentication and payments are faster to use and do not require the person to remember complicated passwords. Also, people are unlikely to forget or lose their fingerprints, right?
Safety
Using biometric data to authenticate or make payments creates greater security and reliability. Fraud and identity theft are very common these days, so empowering individuals with the ability to pay or log into an application by using their voice or fingerprint is a way to give them some peace of mind.
Indeed, fraud can always happen, but a user who uses biometrics to log in is less likely to be hacked than one who uses a PIN.
Stockvault
An increasing number of companies will likely decide to implement this type of technology. Biometric payments will continue to expand to provide people with more security.
