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Biometric approval

Using biometric approval in the mobile app

App available to customers aged 11+ with compatible iOS and Android devices and a Channel Islands, Isle of Man, UK or international mobile number in specific countries. Biometric approval is available to eligible app customers aged 16 or over using compatible iOS and Android devices.

Confirming it's really you

We use the latest technology to recognise the things that make your face and voice unique, so we know it’s you in control of your money. Biometric approval gives you a handy alternative to your card reader and you can use it to authorise:

  • First time payments to someone new through the app or online banking
  • Payments in the app over the £750 daily limit without needing to go to online banking
  • Changes to your payment limits and personal details in online banking

Managing your money is simpler and it helps stop fraud. 

What can I approve with biometrics?

Biometric approval lets you:

  • Make payments over the £750 mobile daily limit to someone new
  • Paying a new bill or utility
  • Set up future dated payments

It can also be used as an alternative to a card reader in online banking for authorising certain transactions:

  • Update your email address or mobile number
  • Make a payment to someone new for the first time
  • Add or amend a payee
  • Change your payment limits
  • Bulk payments (business customers only)

Setting up biometric approval

To register your face and voice you just need the NatWest International app plus a forward-facing camera and your device microphone.

  • Open the app
  • Choose biometric approval from the settings menu, then tap Register now
  • Next, take your photo
  • Once we’ve got this, you’re all set up and you can also register your voice
  • If you don’t have notifications on, we’ll ask you to turn them on. This will help when you get an approval request.

Your biometric details are encrypted and stored in a secure database that no other business or individual can access.

Using biometric approval

When we ask you to use your biometrics to approve something, we’re checking that it’s really you. The process is simple:

  • You'll be asked to present your face to the camera or record your voice
  • We compare the sample you provide to the one that we have stored on our servers
  • If it’s a match you can then carry on and finish what you were doing