Biometric Authentication Technologies - A European View

According to a study commissioned by Visa, consumers across Europe are interested in how biometric technologies can help them make payments faster and safer. Almost three quarters of the respondents (73%) believe that two-factor authentication, which uses biometric technologies in the payment device, can be a safe way to confirm the identity of the account holder.



Considering various situations when paying for goods and services from home or on the street, more than two-thirds of consumers (67%) realize the importance of security technologies to protect their confidential data and about the same number (68%) would like to use biometric technologies as an authentication method in the implementation payment. At the same time, online retailers will be able to get the greatest effect from the introduction of these technologies, since approximately one third of consumers (31%) refused to make online purchases through a browser precisely in connection with security issues when making payments.

The results of the study also show that the possibility of biometric authentication is appreciated when paying at the checkout no less than with online transactions. Moreover, when paying at the cash desk, the main priority is the speed of payment.

New forms of authentication using biometric factors are expected to help strike a balance between security and speed.

All this is reflected in the following findings from the Visa study:

  • 48% of respondents want to use biometric authentication to pay for public transport
  • 47% want to use biometric authentication to pay bills at a bar or restaurant
  • 46% would like to use it to pay for goods or services on the street - in grocery stores, coffee houses, fast-food restaurants, etc.
  • 40% want to use it for online shopping
  • 39% want to use it to download content

Factors contributing to the growing popularity of biometric technology


The study, based on a survey of more than 14 thousand consumers from Europe, shows that the growing availability and ease of working with biometric technologies are important factors contributing to the growth of their popularity.

With the proliferation of mobile payments, one of the most common forms of biometric authentication - due to its ease of use and high level of security - is fingerprint scanning. Considering the problem solely from the point of view of the perception of the safety of biometric technologies, the majority of respondents believed that fingerprint scanning (81%) provides the greatest protection among all biometric technologies, followed by scanning the iris (76%).

When making payments, consumer preferences for various means of biometric authentication were divided as follows:

  • Fingerprint Scanning - 53%
  • PIN and biometric technologies - 29%
  • Scanning the iris of the eye - 23%
  • Face Recognition - 15%
  • Voice Recognition - 12%
  • Behavioral biometry - 10%

“The development of biometric identification and verification technologies is generating great optimism in the payment industry, as these tools offer the opportunity to streamline and enhance consumer experience,” said Jonathan Vaux, Executive Director of Innovation Partnerships at Visa.

The study, at the same time, shows that biometric technologies are increasingly perceived as a reliable authentication tool as people become more familiar with the use of these technologies on their devices.

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