Mastercard and BMO have announced that their Identity Check Mobile app will officially launch in North America in the first half of next year.
The system prompts users to verify online purchases using biometric capture on their mobile devices, either by scanning a fingerprint or taking a selfie, which the system scans using facial recognition technology. It’s based on Daon’s IdentityX mobile biometric authentication platform, which was also used to great effect in credit union USAA’s mobile app.
In a press release announcing the launch, Ajay Bhalla, president of Enterprise Risk & Security at Mastercard, commented: “Making the online payment experience near frictionless and more secure is a priority for Mastercard. Moving this technology beyond the pilot phase is a significant milestone in the evolution of payments. Online payments are being revolutionized; and now we are making Identity Check Mobile a reality for commercial use in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and soon, the world.”
Identity Check’s official North American launch will follow a soft launch undertaken earlier this year, which has provided Mastercard and BMO with some useful feedback. The companies say that 74 percent of its users agree that biometric authentication is easier to use than that based on passwords, and that 9 out of 10 users said they expect to use biometric authentication for future online payments.
Mastercard went live with the app in Europe earlier this month, and with plans now solidifying to bring it to North America in the first half of 2017, it looks like the app is on track to have global reach soon.
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October 24, 2016 – by Alex Perala
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