Biometric Identification
Biometric identification recognizes a person by their face alone — a 1:N search against the Customer database — without them first stating who they are. It answers "who is this?", where authentication answers "is this the person they claim to be?".
When to use it
Letting a returning Customer sign in or resume a journey with just a selfie — no username, no document — for example a returning applicant continuing where they left off, or a face-based login.
How it works
- Face capture & liveness — the person takes a selfie; liveness confirms a live person.
- 1:N search — the face is searched against the Customer watchlist.
- Decision — if exactly one trusted match is found, the person is identified as that Customer.
Outcomes
| Outcome | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Identified customer | The face matched one Customer; the person is logged in as them. |
| Not existing customer | Trusted face, but no match — the person is not yet a Customer. |
| Rejected | The biometric could not be trusted (poor capture or spoofing). |
Notes
- Identification depends on the 1:N capability and therefore on the Stored tier — see Deployment Models & Data Tiers.
- A "not existing customer" result is the natural cue to route the person into onboarding.