HSBC and First Direct roll out voice and fingerprint ID system for mobile banking

New voice and fingerprint technology could make your banking calls to HSBC a lot smoother. But is it really safer?

HSBC and First Direct are to introduce voice recognition and touch security services in the UK, allowing you to access your account over the phone or via a mobile app without needing to remember a password

First Direct customers will be offered voice and fingerprint recognition over the next few weeks, followed by HSBC in the summer.

The news comes a week after the launch of Atom Bank which lets its users log on with a voice recognition system.

Touch ID is available on all Apple mobile devices for both HSBC and First Direct, though you need to download and follow some instructions to link your fingerprint to the app. Similarly, banking customers who want to use the new service can enrol their ‘voice print’ and won’t need to use passwords or PINs anymore.

Francesca McDonagh, head of retail banking and wealth management at HSBC, said: "The launch of voice and touch ID makes it even quicker and easier for customers to access their bank account, using the most secure form of password technology – the body."

Barclays already has voice recognition software but it’s only available to corporate clients. RBS and NatWest started offering fingerprint technology last year.

How your voice is recognised

Nuance Communications is supplying the voice technology which cross checks against over 100 unique identifiers including behavioural features like speed, cadence and pronunciation and physical markers like the shape of larynx, vocal tract and nasal passages.

HSBC says the system will still work if a customer calls in and they’re ill.

The launch of biometric technology for HSBC and First Direct is supported by YouGov research revealing that 37% of people agree that traditional passwords have become an outdated measure. More than half said they rarely update their passwords, while over a third (38%) said they tended to use the same password across multiple accounts. This behaviour makes it easier for hackers to get their hands on your personal or financial data.

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