ICICI Bank Enables Biometric Authentication for UPI Payments on iMobile App

ICICI Bank has enabled fingerprint and facial recognition authentication for Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions up to 5,000 rupees through its iMobile mobile banking app, using device-based biometrics instead of requiring a PIN for eligible payments.

The feature allows customers to approve peer-to-peer transfers, QR-code merchant payments, and online UPI transactions using biometric authentication stored on the device. Transactions above the 5,000-rupee threshold (approximately $52) continue to require the standard UPI PIN.

On Android devices, authentication uses fingerprint recognition, while iOS users can authenticate with facial recognition. The feature is available on iMobile version 30 for Android and version 28.2 for iOS. Customers retain the option to switch between biometric and PIN-based authentication.

By leveraging device-level biometric verification, the feature reduces risks such as shoulder-surfing in public spaces where users might otherwise enter a PIN visibly. The bank says the approach adds convenience for frequent low-value transactions while maintaining security through the device’s built-in biometric hardware.

The launch follows a similar move by another Indian fintech firm that enabled biometric authentication for UPI payments earlier this year. India’s UPI network processes billions of transactions monthly, and the introduction of biometric alternatives to PINs has been anticipated as smartphone biometric hardware has become standard.

India’s digital identity ecosystem continues to evolve alongside its payments infrastructure. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has been working on frameworks to support biometric authentication across the UPI network, and ICICI Bank’s deployment represents one of the first major implementations by a large private-sector bank.

Sources: The Paypers

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By the ID Tech Editorial Team