AIB to use selfies in bid to make online banking easier and remove need for card readers

The new process, named Selfie Check, enables clients using the AIB mobile app to make payments up to €10,000 without a card reader.

The process should make bank transfers easier. The bank said the option would soon be expanded to include other banking services.

Selfie Check verifies users’ identity through facial biometrics, a technology that identifies and measures key points on an image of a person’s face.

It is currently one of the most secure forms of identity authentication available. The facial biometrics collected are saved in a database owned by AIB.

The bank authorities advises clients using Selfie Check to take a picture in a well-lit space with a neutral background and to avoid having any windows behind them.

Phones used to capture client’s faces should be kept upright in portrait position and placed approximately 30cm away from their faces.

Nothing must obscure the individual’s face to ensure proper identification.

This new initiative is available to only AIB bank clients aged over 16 years old and currently residing in the Republic of Ireland.

Payments will be made through the AIB mobile app. People still using AIB internet banking have been advised by AIB authorities to still keep their AIB card readers on hand.