Bank opts for words, not passwords

Customers can opt for the service for €10 a year. They record their voice using a bank app, provide a mobile number and then, when paying online, answer a phone call to get a code to complete the purchase.

It is used in conjuction with a dynamic cryptogram function and is aimed at cutting fraud.

Tested over five years with 600 people in the street, office and speaking quietly, the bank said voices were as unique as fingerprints. The Caisse d’Epargne and Crédit du Nord are testing similar systems.