Media releases
Westpac launches fingerprint sign in for new digital banking platform Westpac Live
5 December 2014
- World’s first bank with fingerprint sign in for Android Samsung Galaxy S5 and Note 4.
- Fingerprint sign in available for iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, or iPhone 6 Plus.
- Westpac Live releases new features including the ability to share your online banking with others and enhanced self-service and search functionality.
- Westpac Live ranked Best Innovative Online Banking Service in Money Magazine’s 2015 Best of the Best Innovation awards.
Westpac customers will be able to use fingerprint sensor, known as Touch ID, to securely sign in to Westpac’s new digital banking platform Westpac Live on their iPhone, and be the first in the world to use fingerprint sign in for Samsung Galaxy S5 and Note 4.
The new technology, which will be available from January next year, will add further security and convenience for the increasing number of Westpac customers banking on their smartphones.
The launch of fingerprint sign in follows the introduction of Westpac’s new award winning digital banking platform Westpac Live launched in May this year. The new platform has redefined digital banking for Westpac customers providing a seamless and consistent experience as they move between their devices - online, mobile and tablet.
Westpac Live offers more self-service options than ever before including real-time running balance and advanced search capability so customers can see their entire financial position in one place.
Jason Yetton, Group Executive, Westpac Retail said: “Over half of our digitally active customers are using mobile banking and now doing more than $50 billion worth of transactions each year. The desire for mobile-led banking solutions is playing a major role in everyday consumer life - something that will not slow down and we’re excited to be at the forefront of mobile banking innovation, providing instant access to banking for customers via fingerprint sign in.”
“This is the next step in moving forward our already successful digital banking service Westpac Live which has been used by over 2.9m customers to manage their accounts on the move. The simplicity of our digital banking platform has won several awards this year and makes the banking experience even quicker and easier for our customers so they can bank anytime, anywhere - banking at the speed of life.
“Our customers are increasingly demanding a greater end-to-end experience and greater consistency when accessing their bank accounts via their mobile, their iPad, their PC and we are constantly innovating to deliver this. With this in mind, we will be releasing new features for Westpac Live including the ability to share access to your accounts with others, view accounts in foreign currency, and a range of convenient self-service options.”
Westpac Live was announced today as the Best Innovative Online Banking Service in Money Magazine’s 2015 Best of the Best Innovation awards. Westpac Live also won a Good Design Award in the Digital and Online category in June, the first bank to win in this category.
This latest announcement follows a year of innovations at Westpac including; Westpac Get Cash which enables customers to withdraw cash from a Westpac ATM without a card by having a code sent to their phone; Westpac contactless payments; overseas travel notifications and Global Alliance overseas alerts to notify customers of their nearest Global Alliance partner ATM.
Westpac Live Fingerprint sign in will be available in January 2015 for iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and Android Samsung Galaxy S5 and Note 4. The new features of Westpac Live will be available early next year.
Notes to editors
New features of Westpac Live to be released early next year
- Customers can share access to their accounts with others and have complete control and visibility over what they can see and do online.
- View accounts in foreign currency.
- New messages and alerts to keep customers informed and up to date.
- Convenient self-service options so customers can manage their finances their own way including:
- Request to stop cheques
- View cheque images for transactions
- Initiate a transaction trace
- Request a home loan top up
- Customers can swipe to view the balance of up to 3 personal or business accounts on their mobile without signing in.
- An enhanced tool for customers to view their overall financial position.