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Flipkart has become one of the leading Indian e-commerce
platforms to offer biometric authentication for card payments, powered by Axis
Bank & PayU
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Customers can now approve Axis Bank card payments using
Face ID or fingerprint, eliminating OTP delays and failed attempts
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The biometric authentication feature brings faster
approvals backed by device binding and next-gen fraud protection
Mumbai: Flipkart, India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace, in collaboration with Axis Bank, one of the largest private sector banks in India and PayU, India's leading diversified fintech platform, announced the launch of biometric authentication for card payments. Three trusted organizations have joined forces for this initiative, building on their shared history of a consumer first approach, and reinstating their collective commitment to the consumers of India.
The initiative allows users to authenticate transactions using their fingerprint or Face ID on supporting Android and iOS devices, eliminating the need for a one-time password (OTP). The service is enabled first for Axis Bank cardholders through issuer‑level biometric verification. With this launch, Flipkart has become one of the leading major Indian e-commerce platforms to offer biometric authentication for card payments.
The feature offers customers a more secure method of
authentication backed by device fingerprinting and enhanced checks, reducing
the risk of SIM‑swap or OTP‑based fraud. It addresses significant friction
points in digital payments replacing SMS-based OTPs, with a faster and more
secured mechanism already familiar to smartphone users. Under this
collaboration, PayU manages the merchant-side infrastructure, including device
security and authentication flows while Axis Bank leverages Wibmo (a PayU
company) to power biometric verification on the issuer side.
Biometric authentication addresses India's alarming digital payment fraud landscape, where fraud values surged more than fivefold to exceed ₹1,400 crore in FY 2024, according to RBI-linked data. In response, the Reserve Bank of India issued the 'Authentication Mechanisms for Digital Payment Transactions Directions, 2025' circular, explicitly encouraging adoption of biometric and risk-based authentication over SMS OTPs. Strategically aligned with this regulatory vision, the Flipkart-PayU-Axis Bank partnership enhances security, improves transaction success rates, and creates a more resilient payment ecosystem while fulfilling RBI's mandate for stronger digital authentication mechanisms.
Speaking on the
launch, Gaurav Arora, Vice President, Payments and SuperCoins at Flipkart,
said, “At Flipkart, our
approach to innovation is anchored around robust compliance and consumer trust.
The integration of the biometric authentication feature reflects our commitment
to building safety into consumer payments at a time when digital fraud risks
are becoming increasingly sophisticated. By leveraging secure biometric
credentials, we are delivering a payment experience that is intuitive and
seamless, while meeting the highest standards of consumer protection. As
digital commerce continues to scale, our focus remains on enabling faster
transactions while reinforcing the regulatory rigour and ecosystem-wide trust
that secure payments demand.”
Arnika Dixit, President & Head – Cards, Payments
and Wealth Management, Axis Bank, said, “At Axis Bank, we are constantly working to
reinforce trust and security across every digital touchpoint. 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.
We are delighted to introduce this enhanced capability for our cardholders
through our collaboration with Flipkart and PayU. This rollout reflects the
strength of our long‑standing partnership and our shared commitment to
elevating industry standards in both security and customer experience. As
digital commerce continues to evolve, we remain focused on bringing innovations
that make payments simpler, stronger and future‑ready for our customers.”
Commenting on the collaboration, Hemang Dattani,
Chief Business Officer, PayU Payments, said, “As digital commerce
continues to scale in India, simplifying payments without compromising on
security is critical. At PayU, we are proud to partner with Flipkart to enable
a biometric authentication experience for card payments, helping customers move
past long-standing friction associated with OTP-based verification. By
combining biometric authentication with enhanced security controls, this
partnership marks a meaningful step towards building a faster, more secure and
frictionless digital payments experience for Indian consumers.”
This rollout marks
a step forward in India’s transition away from OTPs, offering users a smoother
way to pay while maintaining high standards of compliance and control. Through
this collaboration, Flipkart, Axis Bank and PayU are establishing a strong
model for a device‑bound biometric card
authentication that can support the next generation of secure digital
transactions in India.