Touch ‘n Go eWallet begins rolling out PassKey authentication, Face ID for payment

Malay Mail
Malay Mail

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 20 — After more than a year since Face Verification was disabled, Touch ‘n Go eWallet is finally bringing back Face ID and Touch ID authentication which makes it more convenient and secure to make payments.

With the feature, you no longer need to type your six-digit PIN to confirm a QR payment in public. On top of that, Touch ‘n Go eWallet is also giving users the option to enable PassKey, which allows you to log in without the use of passwords.

Touch ‘n Go eWallet re-enables Face ID and Touch ID to authenticate payments

Touch ‘n Go eWallet had previously offered facial recognition to authenticate payment but it wasn’t using Apple’s own Face ID technology. Eventually, the feature was removed after the app was briefly suspended from the AppStore. Early this year, the biometric security feature was reintroduced on Touch ‘n Go eWallet but it was only used for app launches, and not for payment.

Before 2023 comes to an end, it seems that Touch ‘n Go eWallet is bringing back the facial authentication feature and the option is currently available to selected users. If you’re eligible, you should see a new Security Authentication option under your profile settings. For payments, you will be able to choose between device biometric or six-digit PIN. We are told that the feature is currently being rolled out in stages.

The device biometric method works for DuitNow QR payments and even to reload our Enhanced Touch ‘n Go card via NFC. When enabled, all you need is your face to confirm the payment which is faster and more secure than entering the PIN in public. If Face ID fails twice, you can continue to authenticate the payment using your 6-digit PIN.

Passwordless Touch ‘n Go eWallet login with PassKey

Another new security measure for Touch ‘n Go eWallet is the implementation of Passkeys. Instead of entering a password, you can simply log in either via Face ID or Touch ID. According to Touch ‘n Go eWallet’s FAQ, PassKey is a new secure login method created by the FIDO Alliance and World Wide Web Consortium which enables users to securely log into the app without the need for a password. Your unique credential is stored within your device and it is protected with your biometrics. The Passkey feature for the eWallet is currently limited to the iPhone running on iOS 16 and above.

To create a passkey, just go to your Touch ‘n Go eWallet’s profile page, go to Security Authentication, select Login and then tap on Passkey. To get started, just tap on “create a Passkey” and you will be shown a prompt to save the Passkey to your iCloud Keychain. Once that’s done, you can just use your PassKey to log in to Touch ‘n Go eWallet instead of entering the six-digit PIN.

If you lose your Passkey or if it fails to work in the future, you can always log in using your six-digit PIN. According to Apple, its iCloud Keychain is secured with 256-bit AES encryption during storage and transmission, and the data can’t be read by Apple.

Similar to the Biometric verification method for payments, the feature is also being rolled out to users in stages. — SoyaCincau