TSB Customers in Europe First to Benefit from Iris Recognition

Security and customer experience at forefront of digital offering as challenger bank becomes first in Europe to commit to iris recognition technology

TSB has introduced iris recognition to its mobile banking app – the first bank in Europe to commit to provide the technology – as the Bank’s high-tech transformation gathers pace.

Customers with a Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8+ and Note 8 smartphone can now unlock their TSB mobile banking app using the Samsung Pass iris scanner.  This means TSB’s customers can access their banking using either the fingerprint (an existing feature) or the iris scanner, so there is no need to remember lengthy IDs or passwords.

Iris scanning is the most secure form of biometric authentication available today, with 266 unique characteristics compared with 40 for fingerprints.  It is also the most user-friendly – one look and the mobile app is ready to use.

Carlos Abarca, TSB’s Chief Information Officer, says: “Iris recognition allows you to unlock your TSB mobile app with a simple glance, meaning all of those IDs, passwords and memorable information become a thing of the past.

“As well as a more customer-friendly approach to identification, iris recognition is also the most secure method of authentication available today.  We want our mobile app customers to continue to have a fast, easy-to-use experience; iris recognition delivers that and, when combined with our other security measures, an unparalleled level of cyber security.”

The innovative move by TSB comes just months after it launched its new mobile banking app, which was built on its new Proteo4UK IT banking platform.  TSB is building a bank fit for the 21^st century, with digital at its heart.

Proteo4UK will not only liberate TSB from its current legacy systems but also allow the bank to become more agile.  The speed with which Samsung Pass has been integrated into TSB’s mobile banking app signals the benefits the new platform will deliver to TSB customers.

Carlos continues: “Our new banking platform, Proteo4UK, allows us to accelerate TSB’s ability to make banking better for all UK consumers and I can’t wait to continue to surprise and delight our customers with new technology like this.  Introducing Samsung’s iris technology to our mobile app is one example of what we can now deliver.”