Are Consumers ‘Buying’ Biometric Authentication?

Biometric authentication has substantial benefits that accrue to the quality of transactions, including reduced fraud involving payments made online. The technology that enables such authentication is mature, and widespread use of it in payments is tacking toward the inevitable. Still, there are some interesting variations in consumers’ attitudes toward the use of biometrics that break along generational lines. Further, so-called automatic authentication meets with substantial distrust among consumers. Clearly obtaining consent—early, frequently, recurrently—will be necessary for truly boundary-pushing systems to gain ground. 

This Javelin Strategy & Research report focuses on inroads made by biometric authentication, the divide in acceptance between consumers well-versed in mobile operating systems and those who are not, and how payments experiences can be designed to effectively leverage consumer attitudes toward the technology. 

Key questions discussed in this report:

• What are consumer attitudes toward biometric authentication? 
• How do preferences for biometric authentication for payments break down by age group? 
• How can consumer tendencies toward the use of biometrics be leveraged in building payment experiences?

Companies Mentioned: 

Amazon, American Express, Apple, Clear, Google/Android, JPMorgan Chase, Mastercard, Visa