Standard Chartered Bank launches fingerprint and voice biometric technologies across Asia, Africa and the Middle East

It's already live in Singapore, the UAE and India.

In an effort to deliver a seamless and convenient banking experience to its clients, Standard Chartered Bank's latest technology enables its clients to securely access their bank account balances, cards and investments using their unique fingerprint or voice as identifiers.

The bank claims that this is the "most extensive roll-out of fingerprint biometric technology by any international bank and a first in most markets. With “touch login,” clients can instantly access their bank account balances, cards and investments on the go using the secure fingerprint recognition technology built into these devices."

How does this technology work?
Standard Chartered’s voice biometric technology captures the physical and behavioural characteristics of clients’ voices, which are as unique as fingerprints, due to the size and shape of one’s vocal tract, mouth and teeth, as well as accent and speaking rhythm. When clients call the bank’s contact centres, their identities will be authenticated through their unique voice prints for a safer and more secure phone banking experience.

In which markets will this technology be available?
Already live in Singapore, the UAE and India, touch login will launch in China, Hong Kong, and Malaysia, Pakistan and the African markets of Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe by the end of 2016, depending upon regulatory approval being obtained where required.

The bank will also introduce voice biometric technology for phone banking services for clients in India and the UAE by end of this year, before rolling it out in more markets next year, subject to regulatory approvals.