Capital One is offering customers the chance to replace security questions for some transactions with a swipe of their mobile phones.
The SwiftID system replaces questions such as 'mother's maiden name' as an extra layer of security when a customer wants to carry out some, more unusual, actions, or when something is amiss.
For example, if a customer tries to sign into their account from a new device or change their address they will be prompted to swipe their phone screen to prove that they are who they say they are.
According to TechCrunch, when they swipe their handset, the customer is taken to a screen within the Capital One app that lets the bank see a unique image of the phone that is captured during the signup process.
SwiftID will also send an alert if a card gets locked because of suspicious activity and turn it back on once the customer confirms that they are making the purchase.
Capital One says that it plans to extend the use of its new feature so that it replaces security questions for transactions like resetting PINs, using card out of the country, and verifying identities during customer service calls.
