Lloyds Bank explores use of NFC technology to authenticate devices during mobile banking registration process

•  Bank explores use of NFC technology to authenticate devices during mobile banking registration process
• In addition, the Bank has launched an alternative process to verify certain requests set up on a desktop PC, using the Lloyds Bank app

LONDON, 6-7-2015 — /EuropaWire/ — Lloyds Bank trials are exploring how the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) and contactless technology can improve the registration process for those setting up mobile banking.

The ‘tap to bank’ technology has so far been tested on over 125 people, enabling them to use their Lloyds Bank contactless debit card as a way of securely authenticating their identity when setting up the mobile banking app.

Instead of receiving a phone call from an automated system to complete the mobile banking registration process, customers will be able to simply tap their contactless debit card against their NFC enabled Android smartphone and instantly authenticate themselves.

By replacing the automated phone call with the ‘tap to bank’ authentication, the vast majority of those involved in the testing found the process is simpler, quicker, and easier to use. It is anticipated that in the future, this innovation can also be applied to other tasks, such as authenticating new payments.

Director of Innovation and Digital Development, Marc Lien said: “With the widespread take up of contactless cards and most new smartphones now having NFC technology, this tap to bank trial is developing enhancements to banking processes that many people could benefit from.

“This is one of a raft of new technologies that we’re experimenting with to help our customers.”

Also now live – a faster alternative to authenticating desktop payments

In addition, Lloyds Bank now has a new authentication method available to customers setting up certain requests through Internet Banking on their desktop PC. As an alternative to receiving a phone call to verify the process, customers can choose to log into the mobile banking app to verify their requests.

This process is available for customers setting up new beneficiaries, setting up standing orders, making international payments and resetting passwords via their Internet Banking on desktop.

Customer authentication on these transactions are a lot quicker than the current automated phone call, now taking less than 20 seconds to complete. The potential for the process failing is also reduced, removing issues such as network connections dropping due to a lack of signal for calls. In addition, deaf or hard of hearing customers are also able to benefit from this faster process, instead of receiving an automated phone call and following text based instructions to authenticate their actions.

Ends

Notes to editors:

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Further information

Lloyds Bank

• Lloyds Bank has around 2.5m active mobile banking users, with over 1.5 million customers downloading the app.
• *The Lloyds Bank app is five star rated on the Apple App Store at the time of writing.
• The Lloyds Bank app was rated second on the list of top FTSE 100 brand apps by Connected Digital; http://blog.connecteddigital.com/2015/appoptimisation/lloyds-and-screwfix-apps-come-top-of-the-ftse100-in-2014/

More information on Lloyds Bank Mobile Banking and Digital presence: Lloyds Bank has continued to expand the range of mobile banking services available so that customers can bank on the go, receiving an even faster secure service. Available through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, the new app includes these updated features: –

• Payments to new and existing payees with full transaction limits
• Express Logon that allows customers to log on securely using only three characters from their Memorable Information following device registration.
• Full transaction history on current, savings and credit card accounts
• Ability to open new accounts for different banking products, including side by side comparison of our different Savings accounts
• Ability to make payments by selecting contacts straight from the customer’s o phone contacts, using the Pay a Contact service as part of the PayM scheme
• Manage your standing orders and direct debits
• View pending debit card transactions, cheques being processed and one-off pending payments set up to be made in the next 30 days
• Register for Everyday offers and earn money on selected purchases
• Reset password in the settings menu
• Set up new receipts and send payments aboard from eligible accounts

Lloyds Banking Group

• At Lloyds Banking Group, we are building our business and our strategy with digital firmly at the centre.
• Digital is integrated into everything we do across all of the markets and channels we operate within.
• We have committed to invest £1 billion in our digital capability over the next three years which is focused on delivering customer focused propositions, enhancing digital capabilities and delivery, and transforming our customer experience, whether they are a retail, business or insurance customer.
• Being able to bank digitally is of ever increasing importance to our customers
  • Lloyds Banking Group has over 10 million active online banking users
  • 5 million actively use mobile, making us the ‘biggest mobile bank’ in the UK.
  • Our customers logged on to our secure banking site 1 billion times in the last 12 months.
• The new process for authenticating desktop internet banking requests is now live across all of the Lloyds Banking Group brands; Halifax, Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Bank.

For more information:
Chris Tuttlebee
0207 356 1343 / 07850 723184
christopher.tuttlebee@lloydsbanking.com