Checkout.com, a leading global payment solutions provider, has launched advanced facial authentication technology. With this move, the company aims to expand its identity verification (IDV) suite. This new feature enables businesses to verify returning users through real-time video analysis and facial matching within seconds, which significantly reduces friction in important areas of user journeys such as password recovery, employee onboarding, and secure access verification.

With this leap forward, Checkout.com is redefining digital trust. With the integration of this advanced face authentication technology, the company supports its clients in delivering seamless, secure user experiences while effectively mitigating fraud and unauthorized access.

Key Takeaways

• The new face authentication technology by Chekcout.com enables businesses to verify returning users in seconds using live video and facial matching. It renders traditional methods like passwords, one-time codes, or manual reviews obsolete.
• The system integrates AI-powered facial recognition and liveness detection to counter spoofing methods like masks, deepfakes, video injection, etc., to ensure high security.
• Companies like Uber Eats, DocuSign, and European fintech Swan are already using this technology. Swan reported reducing passcode reset times from days to minutes and doubling conversion rates for that flow.
• This service is in line with the Identity Verification (IDV) and Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements across the industries. It has also been built to meet FIDO Alliance certification standards for trust and regulatory compliance.

Checkout.com Adds Face Authentication to Speed Up Logins and Fight Online Fraud

On April 29, 2025, Checkout.com added face authentication to its identity-verification tools. It uses a short-lived video and facial matching to confirm a returning user in seconds. That means you can skip passwords, one-time codes, and manual document checks. You just look at the camera, and the system does the rest.

Checkout.com started in 2009 in London. Its founder, Guillaume Pousaz, built a global payments network that handles transactions for big names like Netflix, Pizza Hut, and Coinbase. By 2022, it was valued at $40 billion. Today, it offers a unified API that covers payments, fraud management, and compliance.

Online fraud keeps getting more clever. In 2024, identity fraud cases in Europe jumped by 150% compared with the year before. Banks, insurers, and digital platforms all face phishing, deepfakes, and spoofing attacks. At the same time, users want smooth, fast access to their accounts. They don’t want to dig out a password or wait for a code.

Face authentication aims to solve both problems at once. Once you’ve signed up and your face is on file, you open your app or browser and let it record a quick video. The system checks the new video against the one it stored during onboarding. It also looks for signs of spoofing – like replayed videos, masks, or static photos – to make sure you’re there.

Under the hood, it’s a mix of computer-vision algorithms and liveness detection. The software analyzes tiny head movements and facial micro-expressions that are almost impossible to fake. All of this happens in the background, without you needing extra hardware. Developers just call the same ID-verification API they already use for document checks. In return, they get a clear pass or fail decision, plus a response code.

This tool works for all kinds of flows. If you forgot your password, it can speed up recovery. When a new team member joins, it can verify their ID in minutes instead of days. It can also protect high-value actions, like changing payment details or approving large transfers. And it comes into play whenever a business wants to be sure the person on the other end is the right person.

Companies across sectors can benefit. Financial services firms can add it to online banking sign-ins. Healthcare portals can protect patient records. E-signature platforms can confirm signers’ identities. Even food-delivery apps or loyalty programs can use it to guard high-value rewards. Airlines could tie it to passenger check-in or lounge access.

On the compliance side, it meets FIDO Alliance standards and supports KYC (know your customer) and AML (anti-money laundering) rules. That means firms can show regulators audit logs and proof of identity checks without juggling paper documents. And because the face templates are stored securely, they never touch a server in plain sight.

Early adopters have seen real benefits. Swan, a European fintech, cut passcode reset times from three days to a few minutes and doubled its conversion rate for that flow. DocuSign and Uber Eats also rolled out the feature to keep their platforms safe and smooth. In these tests, Checkout.com customers saw returning-user conversion rates rise by as much as eight percentage points.

Benjamin Grall, Senior Product Manager at Swan, shared that integrating face authentication from Checkout.com has revolutionized their passcode reset process, reducing it from three days to just minutes while enhancing security. The update has also doubled user conversion rates for this flow, significantly improving both user experience and operational efficiency.

Milan Jani, VP of Product at Checkout.com, emphasized that their biometric solution sets a new standard in identity verification. It delivers faster, more secure authentication while adhering to strict ethical guidelines. Designed to meet FIDO Alliance certification standards, the solution consistently performs at a high level, providing businesses and users with a secure and inclusive experience.

Experts say adding biometrics to existing verification can lift security and user satisfaction at the same time. A recent survey found 49% of people believe digital ID checks make the internet safer, and more than half in places like France see them as the future of payments. Younger users, especially Gen Z and millennials, are already comfortable using face recognition in other parts of life, like unlocking phones.

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In a crowded market, Checkout.com sets itself apart by folding face checks into the same API it uses for payments and risk. Other vendors focus on onboarding or only on biometric scans. Checkout.com extends that to re-authentication, so businesses don’t need separate systems for first-time and returning-user checks. That saves development work and reduces costs over time.

No technology is perfect, and biometrics can struggle with fairness. Some systems have higher error rates for certain age groups or skin tones. Checkout.com says it tested its models across diverse users to cut bias. It claims consistent accuracy whether you’re young or old, male or female, light- or dark-skinned.

Because it plugs into Checkout.com’s dashboard, businesses get a single view of payments, fraud, and identity checks. They can tweak thresholds or review logs in one place. And with the company’s global reach, the service runs in more than 150 currencies and dozens of countries.

Looking ahead, Checkout.com plans to refine its face models and add new use cases. Age checks could help with alcohol sales or age-restricted content. Continuous authentication – where the system verifies you in the background while you use a service – could stop session hijacks. These updates will roll out over the next year as AI and biometric tech keep improving.

This launch shows how biometric tools can live alongside familiar security measures. Instead of digging for a password or waiting for an email, you just look at the camera. And businesses get a way to fight fraud without creating more steps for their users. As online fraud grows, tools like face authentication will play a bigger role in keeping accounts secure and customer experiences smooth.

About Checkout.com

Checkout.com is a British multinational financial technology company that provides a unified platform for processing payments, sending payouts, and managing card programs. Originally founded in 2009 as Opus Payments by Swiss entrepreneur Guillaume Pousaz, the company rebranded to Checkout.com in 2012 and is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. In early 2022, it reached a valuation of $40 billion, making it one of Europe’s most valuable fintech startups.

Its cloud-native payments infrastructure offers local acquiring in over 50 countries across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, and supports transactions in more than 150 currencies – helping merchants minimize cross-border fees and FX costs. With 19 offices worldwide – including hubs in New York, Paris, Dubai, and Hong Kong – Checkout.com serves marquee clients such as Netflix, Pizza Hut, and Coinbase. Backed by investors including Tiger Global Management, Franklin Templeton, Insight Partners, and the Qatar Investment Authority, it has raised over $1 billion across successive funding rounds to fuel its rapid global expansion and ongoing payment innovation.

Conclusion

Checkout.com’s launch of face authentication marks a significant milestone in the evolution of digital identity verification. By combining speed, security, and user convenience into a single solution, the company is helping businesses stay ahead of rising fraud threats without compromising user experience. Early results from adopters like Swan demonstrate clear, measurable benefits – faster workflows, higher conversion rates, and greater trust.

As digital interactions become more central to everyday life, biometric authentication is no longer a luxury – it’s a necessity. With its seamless integration, global reach, and commitment to ethical standards, Checkout.com is not just following the trend but shaping the future of secure, frictionless digital access.