Author: JT

It may soon be possible for customers of Lloyds Bank to use their contactless card to authorize smartphone transactions.

Customers of Lloyds Bank who have both a contactless debit card and who have an NFC technology enabled device may soon be able to combine the two in order to enhance the mobile security of the banking app so that they can authenticate their identity.

The authentication tech has been nicknamed “tap to bank” and the pilot program involves 125 people.

The participants in the mobile security experiment will replace the current authentication method that uses call to mobile, with a quick tap of the contactless debit card against the smartphone. According to Lloyds Bank, this type of authentication feature could one day be broadened to complete other types of task, as well, such as for the verification of new payments.

It is clear that this new mobile security technology is only at the very beginning of its use by the bank.

According to Marc Lien, the Lloyds Bank director of innovation and digital development, “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.”

The bank is also currently working to replace the automated authorization phone calls that are currently used for the confirmation of certain transactions completed over desktop, as well. In that case, the user can verify requests by logging into the mobile banking app.

That process will be available to individuals who are setting up repeat orders, who are establishing new beneficiaries, who will be making an international payment, or who will be resetting their passwords by way of Internet Banking over a laptop or desktop computer.

Lloyds has explained that these new methods of authentication by way of mobile security technology makes the process considerably faster and more convenient than the automated phone call. Its current estimates are that the entire process could now be done in under 20 seconds, when compared to the lengthier method using the automated calls. Mobile banking is becoming increasingly important among the bank’s customers and is more than likely a driving factor behind this experiment.

Mobile commerce investments continue to grow

Alibaba is on the verge of investing more in One97 Communications, which operates one of India’s most popular mobile payments platforms: Paytm. Alibaba has become one of the strongest names in the e-commerce sectors, especially when it comes to mobile shopping. The Chinese company has established a powerful position in the digital world, and it has also shown a great deal of interest in Indian mobile commerce organizations. India is one of the fastest growing mobile commerce markets in the world.

Paytm has established a strong position in India’s mobile commerce sector

Paytm has become a very powerful mobile commerce platform in India. Many consumers use the platform to shop and pay for products that they are interested in. The platform has made it easier for consumers to make mobile transactions, which has made it quite popular with those that rely heavily on smartphones and other devices. Alibaba has already invested in Paytm, but plans to pump another $600 million into One97 Communications in order to own a 40% stake in the company. This will also give Alibaba a 25% stake in Paytm.

Alibaba is working to develop a thriving mobile commerce ecosystem in India

Alibaba has been investing in India’s mobile commerce space for some time. The company sees a great deal of promise in the country, as it is one of the fastest growing mobile markets in the world. Last month, Alibaba began playing a bigger role in the Paytm ecosystem. Paytm announced that more than 100,000 merchants from Alibaba’s Aliexpress platform would begin selling products in India via the Paytm platform. Alibaba is also working on promoting its own  mobile operating system and mobile devices in India and elsewhere.

Investments help mobile commerce flourish

Mobile commerce is likely to play a much stronger role in India’s retail space in the coming years. As firms like Paytm continue to attract strong support from Chinese companies, such as Alibaba, mobile commerce is expected to become more convenient for consumers, which would help accelerate adoption throughout the country.