ASB Bank’s ID app has been awarded the Canstar Innovation Excellence Award 2019, the annual celebration of the most innovative financial products and services launched in New Zealand. The ASB ID app which is powered by VIX Verify’s greenID Mobile allows customers to open an ASB account in minutes, without having to visit a branch.

The app uses greenID Mobile’s biometric capabilities to integrate two steps in the customer sign up process to one step. It uses innovative facial recognition to automatically compare the selfie with the customer’s photo ID, ensuring the two match.

Formerly customers of ASB could start the account sign up process online, but still needed to visit a branch in person with documents proving their identity and address. With the ID app, customers can open an ASB account using their mobile from anywhere in New Zealand.

ASB was the first bank in New Zealand to offer mobile onboarding to its customers by closely working with VIX Verify, to create the secure verification solution behind the ASB ID app. The bank ran a pilot programme in Auckland and Christchurch in early 2018 to test the usability and security of the app.

“Providing more choice about where and when our customers can join ASB using greenID Mobile and VIX Verify’s end to end capability has been an exciting innovation. The ASB and VIX Verify teams worked very closely during the pilot phase to optimise the ID app experience” said Mark Bird, Digital Strategy Manager – Digital, ASB.

According to Canstar, ASB was recognised for its online ID app, which Canstar describes as a solution that is distinguished in the market for the way it seamlessly integrates facial recognition technology into its customer sign-up process thereby providing instant account access and transaction facilities to ASB customers.

“ASB’s app is the best solution to online identification requirements for opening a bank account in the market. It is unique and disruptive in combining biometrics with a single step process to offer greater convenience and accessibility – without compromising security,” said Canstar general manager Jose George.

VIX Verify New Zealand reseller Ross Hughson said he was excited about Canstar’s recognition of ASB’s ID app. “The Canstar Innovation Excellence Award is a testament of ASB and VIX Verify’s partnership to create an innovative identity verification product that fuses biometrics and traditional identity data to verify people online regardless of location and time. The ID app enables ASB to open their doors to consumers anywhere whilst protecting the bank from fraud, identity theft and money laundering.”