PostFinance – Passwordless Access to Accounts

Customers experience state-of-the-art convenience with password-free access to their accounts: After a single activation, a fingerprint is sufficient and the customer is securely logged in.

«Our customers really appreciate passwordless and secure access to their accounts: the number of customer interactions has doubled.»

Eric Müller, Lead Solutions Architect, PostFinance

PostFinance improves online customer experience

With the PostFinance App, PostFinance AG offers its customers new, fast and secure access to all E-Finance and E-Trading functions. After a single activation, a fingerprint is sufficient for the customer to securely log in.

The Nevis Identity Suite is the secure core of the solution. PostFinance’s existing access management system has been expanded with the FIDO-based mobile authentication. In addition to enabling passwordless access to accounts via the app, Nevis also makes it easy to implement further digitalization projects for PostFinance.

4.5

million PostFinance customer
accounts are secured with
biometric access from Nevis

The dream of accessing accounts without a password becomes reality

PostFinance’s 2.8 million customers conduct their business at the counter or via the e-banking solution E-Finance. Until recently, customers needed a personal card reader to access their data online. This meant that each time they logged in, they had to go through a multi-level question and answer procedure. This served security purposes, but was tedious because, in addition to the login data, the card reader, the PostFinance card and the password had to be at hand.

Since June 2019, PostFinance has been offering its customers a user-friendly yet secure alternative.

The aim: to expand digital banking with the use of a new login procedure, whereby mobile authentication serves as the basis for further functionalities.
The approach: NEVIS supports PostFinance in the requirements analysis, design and implementation of Mobile Authentication in the existing NEVIS solution and in the PostFinance App.
The result: the customer activates the password waiver and is logged in within seconds. PostFinance saves on support and equipment costs. The solution is environment-friendly because it does not require a battery-powered plastic card reader.

Nevis at PostFinance: Modular, flexible, expandable

The Nevis Identity Suite is at the core of the security infrastructure of E-Finance, PostFinance’s online banking service. Nevis makes sure that a login process – e.g. access to a business application or process – can be assigned to a specific person. Customers can now log into E-Finance or E-Trading within seconds, call up account balances and make payments. Online purchases with a credit card can now be confirmed with a fingerprint or Face ID instead of the previously static 3-D Secure password.

Same safety with one device less

The new login via the PostFinance App meets the highest security requirements thanks to encryption and two-factor authentication. It accesses the procedures supported by the respective smartphone operating system (fingerprint or Face ID). In certain cases, customers can check payments and confirm them via the PostFinance App. This provides additional security.

A good decision

PostFinance chose the Nevis Security Suite to set up its online banking system in order to gain more freedom in implementing future requirements. This has paid off. The new authentication procedure could be integrated quickly and easily. FIDO is the future-oriented basis of the process and offers more than fingerprints and Face ID. Further functionalities are constantly being added.

About PostFinance AG

With around 2.8 million customers, PostFinance is an important player on the Swiss financial market. It is the market leader in payment transactions and electronic account management. It was rated a system-relevant bank by the Swiss National Bank in 2015 and currently manages 4.5 million customer accounts.