E-commerce giant Flipkart, in collaboration with Axis Bank and payment gateway PayU, has introduced biometric authentication for card payments in India. This significant shift aims to enhance security and streamline the checkout experience by allowing users to approve transactions using fingerprint or facial recognition, moving away from traditional OTP-based verification.
The rollout comes at a critical time, as digital payment fraud in India has seen a sharp increase, with reported values surpassing ₹1,400 crore in FY2024, according to Reserve Bank of India (RBI)-linked data. In response, the RBI has been advocating for stronger authentication mechanisms through its 2025 guidelines, encouraging the adoption of biometric and risk-based verification methods.
Seamless and Secure Transactions
Currently, the service is being implemented for Axis Bank cardholders, leveraging issuer-level biometric verification on compatible Android and iOS devices. This device-bound authentication framework aims to reduce common issues such as transaction failures, delays, and friction associated with SMS-based OTPs, while also mitigating vulnerabilities like SIM-swap fraud.
The collaboration integrates various components: Flipkart manages the feature at the platform level, PayU handles the backend infrastructure and authentication flows, and Axis Bank utilizes Wibmo for biometric verification. This ensures a robust and secure ecosystem for the new payment method.
Gaurav Arora, Vice President, Payments and SuperCoins at Flipkart, stated, “The integration of biometric authentication reflects our commitment to building safety into consumer payments while delivering a seamless experience.”
Arnika Dixit, President & Head – Cards, Payments and Wealth Management at Axis Bank, added, “Customers today expect digital payments to be not only safe but effortless, and biometric authentication delivers exactly that by enabling a secure, one-touch approval experience.”
Industry-Wide Shift Towards Biometrics
Beyond card payments, biometric authentication is also gaining traction within India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) ecosystem. Institutions like ICICI Bank, PhonePe, and CRED have already introduced similar capabilities, enabling users to approve UPI payments up to ₹5,000 using fingerprint or facial recognition. For higher-value transactions, PIN-based authentication remains in place.
This broader trend underscores a structural evolution in India's digital payments landscape. By linking authentication to device-level biometrics rather than external channels, the system enhances transaction success rates and reduces reliance on potentially vulnerable communication layers.
Hemang Dattani, Chief Business Officer at PayU Payments, emphasized that simplifying payments without compromising security is crucial as digital commerce continues to expand. He noted that the partnership addresses long-standing friction points related to OTPs while strengthening fraud controls.
As India's digital payments ecosystem continues its rapid growth, biometric authentication is emerging as a key enabler for faster, more secure, and frictionless transactions, poised to redefine how users interact with both card and UPI payment systems.