Banks in Biometrics: More Boom than Bust
March 30, 2015 11:29 AM
Banks have been experimenting with biometrics for decades. (Most) recent initiatives show real promise for self-identification using physical characteristics.
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USAA's National Rollout of Voice and Face Recognition
USAA in San Antonio created some momentum for biometrics with its full-scale adoption of facial and vocal recognition through smartphones . Customers can verify their identity through mobile video and audio log-in as well as traditional passwords.
Apple Makes Fingerprinting Cool
BBVA, American Express, Discover and Tangerine Bank are among those using Apple's Touch ID to let iPhone-using customers access mobile banking with the tap of a finger. The stigma of the jailhouse fingerprint seems to have faded.
Image: Bloomberg News
Voice Activation at Tangerine Bank
Tangerine Bank, a unit of Scotiabank in Canada, has rolled out vocal recognition to enable its customers to transfer money, pay bills or access account information. USAA also offers voice-activated banking.
A Biometrics Misfire
Biometrics don't always succeed. Robocoin, a Bitcoin ATM provider , experimented with palm recognition. But the company found the scanning took too long to be worth it, and it removed the feature from its ATMs.
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