Barclays customers can now use Siri to make payments on their mobile phone.
Apple’s virtual assistant now allows Barclay’s customers to carry out payment commands like, “Hey Siri, pay John £20 with Barclays”.
The process is exactly the same as on the Barclay’s banking app, allowing customers to pay existing payees or mobile contacts without having to open the app or put in any passwords.
Instead of using the app, Barclay’s customers can now ask Siri using their voice to make a payment. Once the command is complete, the customer then has to authenticate the payment with Apple’s touch ID fingerprint recognition.
Only customers with an Apple device enabled with Touch ID and using iOS 10 and later can use Siri banking function. Barclays customers must first allow Siri payments in their app before using the virtual assistant on its own to make payments. Single and daily payment limits and can only be made in pounds.
Raheel Ahmed, Head of Customer Experience and Channels at Barclays said: “Barclays has a long history of introducing innovative new products and services to give our customers choice in how they bank. The introduction of Siri payments to mobile banking customers is another step forward, giving flexibility and greater choice for all our customers.”
According to Barclays, the technology will enable customers to send money “virtually hands free”, stating that it will make secure banking more accessible than having to go through the phone banking app.
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Barclay’s is the first UK bank branch to allow payments to be made through Siri technology. Steve Barclay, City Minister, said: “Using Siri payments is another step forward in making banking easier, quicker and more flexible for people across Britain.”
According to the British Bankers’ Association and EY, mobile banking transactions were up by 57% last year, with almost 20million Britons used phone banking apps for transactions and other services.
