Ulster Bank’s head of digital and customer innovation, David Erixon. Image: Shane O’Neill/SON Photographic
Ulster Bank’s customers can now access their accounts using their faces.
Ulster Bank has become one of the first banks in Ireland to enable customers to access its banking app using Face ID on the new Apple iPhone X.
Customers who use the app can still use their PIN to log in as well as Touch ID.
‘This state-of-the-art authentication technology will deliver even greater convenience and ease of use for our mobile customers’
– DAVID ERIXON
Face ID provides secure authentication to allow users to access mobile banking services.
A state-of-the-art camera captures accurate facial data by projecting and analysing more than 30,000 invisible IR dots to create a depth map and an infrared image of the face.
Face ID adapts to changes in the user’s appearance such as glasses or a beard, and can be used outdoors, indoors and in complete darkness.
Facing into the future
Ulster Bank’s head of digital and customer innovation, David Erixon. Image: Shane O’Neill/SON Photographic
Ulster Bank has seen an increasing number of customers opting for mobile and online banking, and has invested in digital accordingly, said the bank’s head of digital and customer innovation, David Erixon.
“This state-of-the-art authentication technology will deliver even greater convenience and ease of use for our mobile customers, and, crucially, will ensure that security remains paramount in accessing mobile banking services. As always, once in the app, all data is encrypted to provide additional peace of mind to customers.”
Erixon said that about 60pc of Ulster Bank’s more than 400,000 daily customer interactions are digital, and 59pc of accounts are ‘paperless’.
In the past year, the bank saw a 22pc year-on-year increase in mobile banking.
“By leveraging the scale and investment capacity of our parent bank, RBS, Ulster Bank has been able to bring these new mobile and online services to our customers. We are also investing in helping customers that may like to increase their digital skills and access our online and mobile services. We now have 97 branch staff as TechXperts, including our six community bankers, as well as hosting a number of walk-in helpful banking events around the country.
“In October, we also added the ability for customers to put a personalised welcome message on the app when they log in – this has proved very popular with customers.”
