What's New in Payments

OCBC lets customers use mobile phones to withdraw cash from ATMs

OCBC Bank is first in Singapore to enable cash withdrawals at ATMs using QR codes — OCBC — “OCBC Bank customers can withdraw cash by just scanning a QR code using the OCBC Pay Anyone app, then authenticating the transaction via fingerprint, faceprint or mobile banking login credentials… Using a QR code instead of keying in a PIN is more secure because biometric authentication can be chosen, a more robust security feature than a PIN that can be revealed or stolen. Further, a physical ATM card can be skimmed while a mobile device cannot.”


What's New in Payments

Google to use 3D face recognition for Pixel 4 payments

(Don’t) hold the phone: new features coming to Pixel 4 — Google — “As you reach for Pixel 4, Soli proactively turns on the face unlock sensors, recognizing that you may want to unlock your phone. If the face unlock sensors and algorithms recognize you, the phone will open as you pick it up, all in one motion. Better yet, face unlock works in almost any orientation — even if you’re holding it upside down — and you can use it for secure payments and app authentication too.”


Transit Ticketing Today

Beijing Subway tests face recognition ticketing

Beijing subway experimenting with facial recognition for fare payment — ECNS — “The Beijing subway system is experimenting with facial recognition for passengers to pay their fares, and the technology might be applied to the entire system once the database is accurate enough, according to a report by Beijing Youth Daily… The Beijing subway system is likely to adopt the technology once the database proves to be 100% accurate, the report said.”



What's New in Payments

Saudi banks pilot blockchain-based cardless ATM withdrawals

Saudi banks trial blockchain-based identity technology at ATMs — Computer Weekly — “The Saudi Arabian trial will enable local consumers to use their faces and blockchain-based apps to withdraw money from cashpoint machines instead of PINs. The ID authentication prototype, currently under test, can communicate across banks and uses blockchain to confirm an individual’s identity without accessing the bank’s database.”




What's New in Payments

Hong Kong airport adds face recognition payments

Duty Zero by CDF introduces facial recognition payment at HKIA — DFNI Frontier — “The Duty Zero by CDF liquor and tobacco stores are the first in Hong Kong to feature the software, which is designed to enhance the consumer shopping experience for Chinese consumers. The Dragonfly POS devices are placed next to the checkout, customers input their phone number and face towards the camera; the software then completes the transaction in just a few seconds.”


What's New in Payments

Alipay to invest $448m promoting face recognition payments in stores

Alipay to spend US$448m plugging new face scanner — Yicai Global — “Dragonfly 2’s next-generation 3D cameras are more precise and have a wider angle, and since the device can handle payments under various lighting conditions merchants will not need to make any changes to their store lights… The scanner is priced at CNY1,999 (US$298.50), nearly 30% less than the previous version.”


What's New in Payments

Aeon to identify customers with face recognition at 80 self-serve stores

Aeon to use facial recognition at 80 China self-serve stores — Nikkei Asian Review — “Aeon, Japan’s largest retailer by sales, will soon debut a chain of self-serve smart stores in China that can anticipate what a customer will buy upon entering the establishment… Facial recognition technology installed in the stores will identify shoppers. Customers’ smartphones will then display recommended items and coupons based on purchasing habits and digital payment history.”



Transit Ticketing Today

Shenzhen Metro tests face recognition payments

You will soon be able to pay your subway fare with your face in China — South China Morning Post — “At the Futian station, instead of presenting a ticket or scanning a QR bar code on their smartphones, commuters can scan their faces on a tablet-sized screen mounted on the entrance gate and have the fare automatically deducted from their linked accounts.”


Transit Ticketing Today

Shanghai bus operator adds face recognition payments

SenseTime promotes traffic safety with smart automobile solutions — SenseTIme — “Passengers may register on the shuttle bus service app and submit their photo, they will then no longer have to worry about forgetting their smartphone or shuttle bus card, simply scan and go aboard, saving the hassle of waiting in queue to pay when getting on a bus.”


Google releases Android Q Beta with added biometric authentication support

Introducing Android Q Beta — Google — “In Android Q we’re extending support for passive authentication methods such as face, and adding implicit and explicit authentication flows. In the explicit flow, the user must explicitly confirm the transaction in the TEE during the authentication. The implicit flow is designed for a lighter-weight alternative for transactions with passive authentication. We’ve also improved the fallback for device credentials when needed.”



Liopa uses lip reading to add security to face recognition systems

Belfast tech startup using automated lip-reading to make user authentication systems more resistant to spoofing attacks — Liopa — “LipSecure works in conjunction with the vendor’s existing FR [facial recognition] system and prompts the user to repeat a random sequence of digits that appear on their screen. Liopa’s AI-based Visual Speech Recognition (VSR) technology checks if the digits have been spoken or mimed correctly and thus determines if there is a ‘live’ person present.”


What's New in Payments

CaixaBank rolls out facial recognition ATMs

CaixaBank, the world’s first bank to use facial recognition to withdraw cash at ATMs — CaixaBank — “CaixaBank has become the world’s first financial institution to offer its customers the ability to use facial recognition to withdraw cash from ATMs, without having to enter their PIN… CaixaBank now has this verification system in place in four Store branches in Barcelona, with a total of 20 terminals. The company plans to progressively expand facial recognition across its Store offices from the second half of 2019.”


Mobile World Congress visitors to use face recognition for entry

Comba Telecom providing face biometrics technology for venue access control at MWC19 — Biometric Update — “The facial recognition solution will be running through the whole event registration process from pre-event registration to on-site check-in during the show and will facilitate the registration process by allowing attendees to register and upload their photo on the organiser’s website before the event. After onsite passport/ID checking, attendees will be identified by the ScanViS ID system and can move through the event access lanes without having to show a badge or ID.”