Kiwis prefer biometrics payments over PINs and passwords, Visa research shows

05/14/2018

Visa announces new biometrics payments standards to enable more mobile payments at the point of sale

 

Nearly nine in 10 Kiwis (88%) want to use biometrics to authenticate their payments, with the convenience of not having to remember their password or PIN considered the top benefit¹, according to new research by Visa.

Biometrics include fingerprints, retina, voice and face scans and can be used to authenticate payments made via a mobile or wearable device, increasing convenience for customers by fast tracking traditional methods such as PIN.

Visa’s research also found that only a third of Kiwis (29%) use a unique password or PIN for their various accounts², signaling the potential for biometrics to make their lives easier, and payments more secure.

Addressing the future of payments security, Visa today publicly launched the Visa Future of Security Roadmap (‘the Roadmap’), which sets the direction for New Zealand payments security from 2018 to 2020, and beyond. Comprised of five initiatives, the Roadmap will ensure security continues to evolve at the same pace as innovation.

Marty Kerr, Visa’s Country Manager for New Zealand and South Pacific, says the biometric authentication initiative outlined in the Roadmap signals a big step forward for mobile payments. The initiative sets standards that, once met by device manufacturers, enable biometrics to be used as the primary form of authentication at the point of sale.

“For the first time, our biometrics authentication standards effectively substitute the need for a PIN on purchases over $80,” says Kerr. “This means that if a device meets Visa’s new standards, we believe its biometrics reader is as secure as entering a PIN on a merchant’s terminal.

“Five years ago, the idea that entering a PIN could become a rare experience would have been almost unbelievable. Yet Kiwis are demanding more innovative ways to pay, and security needs to move at the same speed.”

The other initiatives in the Roadmap include: tokenisation, a process which removes sensitive data from the payments ecosystem and replaces it with a unique digital identifier (a ‘token’); 3-D Secure 2.0, an e-commerce authentication and fraud detection tool; minimum standards for payments innovation; and a goal to achieve 100% EMV chip acceptance, meaning every consumer and merchant can benefit from the security layers provided by this technology.

In launching the Roadmap, Kerr emphasised that securing the commerce ecosystem is a shared responsibility.

“Everyone has a role to play in protecting New Zealand consumers and businesses from breaches of any kind. Technology has enabled truly seamless commerce, but it has also brought unique risks. To stay ahead of fraud, we need to work together to fight fraud with the full force of our collective expertise.”

To find out more about these initiatives, see Visa’s Future of Security Roadmap here.

 

^{1 & 2} Visa commissioned research by AYTM - Biometrics in Payments: Survey of 500 New Zealand adult consumers conducted in October 2017

 

Media Contact
Ashleigh Gilchrist
021 236 8324
[email protected]

 

About Visa Inc.

Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is the world’s leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network - enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company’s relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of connected commerce on any device, and a driving force behind the dream of a cashless future for everyone, everywhere. As the world moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information, visit About Visa, visacorporate.tumblr.com and @VisaNews.