India’s National Payments Corporation is planning partnerships with several startups to enable biometric authentication for UPI transactions.

The new system would enable fingerprint authentication to authenticate UPI payments on Android devices and face ID on iPhones instead of the current four—or six-digit UPI PIN.

This comes barely a week after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) sought other models for additional factor authentication (AFA) in digital transactions. The central bank mentioned that further opportunities for using PINs and passwords should be considered along with biometric methods, such as fingerprints.

As mentioned in the report, NPCI’s talks with startups revolve around the financial and legal aspects of potential cooperation. As the analysis identified, both PIN and biometric authentication methods will be implemented at first, creating two ways for the user to verify transactions.

The shift towards biometric authentication features coincides with the RBI’s call for contactless, secure solutions against financial crime. NPCI plans to integrate biometric sensors into new-generation smartphones to escalate the level of UPI payment security and usability.

Currently, UPI’s main security system is a two-factor authentication system. The first relates to binding the device to other devices using an SMS when the users complete the registration of UPI on their mobile devices. The second component is the UPI PIN, which the user must enter to complete the transactions.

The time frame of the change is still unknown. If implemented, such an alteration may help people make payments and make this process even more secure.