Like with iPhones, you may soon be able to unlock Paytm app with your face

Feature likely to be rolled out soon after successful pilot, say sources

Taking its digital payments platform to the next level, One97 Communications Limited, which owns the Paytm brand, is experimenting with facial recognition technology to unlock the payments application. This is expected to enhance the security of accounts, said source in the company privy to this development. 

To begin with, the Vijay Shekhar Sharma-owned company is testing the face login feature on its Android beta app, the person said. This will be an important security update for Paytm users that is designed to prevent phishing attacks by providing an additional security layer of biometric security, said a security expert.

According to sources, the company has tested this feature with over 10,000 faces and witnessed nearly 100 per cent accuracy. To achieve this, the app maps over 200 distinct parameters on the human face for high accuracy. The feature is likely to be rolled out soon.

The tool would also remove the complexity of resetting passwords to log in to accounts as there are instances when users accidentally share their account details with others and are mostly not comfortable with resetting their password. Reports have said that the Noida-based company is also working on allowing customers to make payments at merchant outlets with the blink of an eye.

Paytm is planning to introduce the technology for wallet payments, which do not require the second-factor authentication.

According to the Reserve Bank of India's security guidelines on digital payments, two steps of verification are required for transactions above Rs 2,000. The face could be the first factor of authentication. 

This development comes after Apple's iPhone X introduced the feature of facial identity to unlock phones by using infrared and visible light scans. Ant Financial, an affiliate of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, had also started testing facial recognition on its electronic payments platform, Alipay, last year for payments at food joint KFC in Hangzhou.