Biometrics authenticate a consumer using a unique physical attribute — fingerprints, retinal scans, voiceprints, DNA matching — that distinguishes one person from everyone else.
How it works
The system compares stored biometric data against a new authentication attempt. For a fingerprint, that typically means counting the number of identical points against a pre-saved image.
Why adoption stays low
Implementation is very expensive, and it requires consumers to own specialized capture equipment. Most solutions still store authentication data on hard drives that could be hacked, and many devices let users fall back to a plain password anyway — quietly undoing the security benefit.
What to evaluate
Whether consumers are enrolling for the first time, how the biometric data gets captured initially, what hardware consumers need, device portability, MOTO compatibility, and — critically — the failure rate for legitimate consumers who simply can't authenticate.
Deployment options
- Installing capture devices at consumer registration
- Generating one-time-use authorization numbers
- Using biometric authentication purely as site access verification