Selfie to open an HSBC bank account — HSBC will enable business customers to pass the identity checks required to open new accounts by taking a selfie.
“Facial recognition technology will be used to verify the images”
Clients using the bank’s mobile application will have to take a self-portrait using the front-facing camera on their Android or iOS smartphone. The bank will then verify using facial recognition software before allowing them to make deposits and withdrawals. A passport or driving licence photo will also be required as an additional security measure. This selfie photograph will then be cross-checked with the image on their driving license or passport.
“Through simplifying the ID verification process, we’ll be able to save our business customers time and open accounts quicker,” said HSBC’s head of global propositions for commercial banking, Richard Davies.
He added: “We also expect the convenience and speed of a selfie to become the verification method of choice for our customers, who no longer need to visit a branch to complete the process.”
HSBC has already uses fingerprint and voice recognition technology for millions of customers.
“We also expect the convenience and speed of a selfie to become the verification method of choice for our customers, who no longer need to visit a branch to complete the process.”
Similar to Mastercard’s Identity Check, HSBC’s app will use proprietary facial tracking technology to ensure that customers are not fraudulently creating accounts. When a user snaps a selfie, the software will compare key parts of their face to images used in official documents pertaining to them from over 150 countries.
Biometrics have been growing in popularity with banks in recent years and other methods available to customers include iris recognition and finger vein technology.
