Promoting biometrics and cashless implementation in Nghe An

Bornbiometrics to minimize risk

Decision No. 2345/2023 of the State Bank of Vietnam on implementing safety and security solutions in online payments and bank card payments requires credit institutions, foreign bank branches, and payment intermediary service providers to implement solutions to minimize risks in online payments.

The above decision stipulates: For individual customers, before making the first transaction using the Mobile Banking application or before making a transaction on a device different from the device that made the last Mobile Banking transaction, the customer must be authenticated.

The authentication method is: One is by the customer's biometric identification mark (matching the biometric data stored in the customer's CCCD card chip issued by the police; or through authentication of the customer's electronic identification account created by the electronic identification and authentication system). Two is by the customer's biometric identification mark matching the biometric data stored in the biometric database about the customer that has been collected and checked, combined with the OTP authentication method sent via SMS/Voice or Soft OTP/Token OTP.

Authentication also occurs when the customer announces the first login to the Internet Banking/Mobile Banking application, or logs into the Internet Banking/Mobile Banking application on a device different from the device that last logged into the Internet Banking/Mobile Banking application via SMS, or other channels registered by the customer (email, phone, etc.). Accordingly, when making an online payment transaction, the Internet Banking/Mobile Banking system requires the customer to present a biometric identification sign that is difficult to fake to authenticate the transaction (such as face, finger or hand veins, fingerprint, iris, voice).

Over the past 6 months, banks: BIDV, Vietinbank, Vietcombank, Agribank, MB, Sacombank, VIB... have increased human resources and deployed solutions to support customers with biometric authentication, to support bank management and not interrupt customers' transactions. Banks have made efforts to set up accounts for people, business households in markets, small and medium enterprises and support biometric authentication for customers who have not done so.

In fact, many customers have not authenticated because they think they rarely transact large amounts of money or do not have a suitable phone. Ms. Hoang Ngoc Chung, a customer who opened an account at VIB Bank, said: "Even though I followed the instructions of the banking application on my phone, I still could not do it. I failed several times and then had to go to a local bank branch for support. The bank teller helped me authenticate successfully."

Mr. Le Viet Huong, another customer with an account at MB Bank, also had to go to a branch or bank to successfully complete the transaction. Meanwhile, many customers, due to using old phones with incompatible features, slow speeds, and blurry photos, could not authenticate themselves according to the application's instructions, so they had to ask the bank for support or buy a new phone. Many people felt annoyed when logging in and performing many operations, and if they were slow or made a mistake, their account would be locked, or if they forgot their login password, their account would be easily locked.

A representative of BIDV Bank Nghe An branch said that even though the whole Tet holiday was very busy, the bank arranged staff to support customers in setting up biometrics, in addition, they went to markets and business streets to set up accounts, open accounts for customers, support printing QR payment for businesses, and install QR codes with sound so that shop owners can recognize that every time a customer transfers money, the machine will notify.

Up to now, BIDV Nghe An has installed biometrics for 200,000 customers, while 20,000/220,000 BIDV customers have not yet done so and the bank continues to provide support on Saturdays and Sundays.

Looking at a QR payment card placed at a vegetable stall at Hung Dung market, the stall owner said that BIDV Bank had come to the market to help her open an account and guide her through transactions, making it easier for her to make payments. At Nghi Xuan market (Vinh city), there are also QR cards posted by small traders on the walls and stalls to help customers pay conveniently.

Gradually adapting to the cashless policy, traders in the markets all understand that having a bank account, a smartphone, and knowing how to transfer money will help them sell more goods when customers come to the market and do not have cash to pay, and if the payment process is inconvenient, they can go elsewhere to buy.

With the innovation of people's thinking and the active participation of banks, "digital transformation" in markets, in coastal areas, and in rural areas is showing positive signs.

A part of the population does not use smartphones.

Along with modern life, using smartphones is not only for surfing Facebook, taking photos, making calls... but also for integrating documents, payments, transfers, work... Therefore, smartphones are very important tools today. However, for many people, they still do not use smartphones but only use regular phones, 3G phones with the main functions of making calls and receiving messages.

Many people do not have the conditions to buy a smartphone and therefore are not familiar with using it and most of them have not performed biometrics and money transfer transactions on the phone. Therefore, according to Mr. Hoang Anh Tuan - Director of Agribank Tay Nghe An, the work of supporting customers, especially customers in rural and mountainous areas, is extremely difficult, sometimes even after being instructed, they still cannot do it. Branch staff in the districts have to support all day when customers request.

Ms. Le Quynh Thu, a teller at the Thai Hoa branch of Tay Nghe An Agricultural Bank, said: The branch has performed biometrics for 7,215 customers. Many customers use phones that do not support biometrics, so they have to go to the bank for support. In addition, people's access to information technology is still limited.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuc - a resident of Nghi Xuan commune (Vinh city) said that until now she still does not know how to transfer money via phone because she uses a "brick" phone, although she has changed to 4G but does not have the money transfer function. Every day when going to the market, she still has to use cash. Now, if she wants to transfer money and receive money via account, she has to buy a new phone, but the problem she worries about is whether she can apply the complicated operations or not.

Many elderly people who receive their pensions every day still have to go to the bank to receive cash because they do not have smartphones. Some say that, due to lack of technology knowledge, they are afraid of being scammed or transferring money to the wrong account address when transferring money via phone.

Currently, in addition to promoting propaganda about digital transformation and biometric installation instructions, another difficulty is that many fraudulent tricks appear, making people worried and hesitant when using banking-related services and applications.

Authorities recommend that when people are scammed when transferring money, they should report to the bank or the police, and at the same time, collect evidence, take photos of the transactions, and cite evidence of the scam to continue to spread the word to their families and relatives.

Banks need to have more effective solutions to guide people and have convenient, smart and safe applications when applying. People need to be aware of the importance of applying information technology, using advanced means and equipment to serve life conveniently according to the trend.