ICICI Bank Introduces Biometric Authentication for UPI Payments Up to Rs 5,000

ICICI Bank today announced the implementation of biometric authentication service for UPI transactions up to Rs 5,000 made through iMobile app, the bank's mobile banking application. The new biometric feature enhances user experience by allowing them to authorise transactions up to Rs 5,000 via facial recognition or fingerprint authentication, as per a statement from ICICI Bank.

With the new feature, users don't need to manually enter Unified Payments Interface (UPI) Personal Identification Number (PIN) for transactions up to the threshold. However, for transactions above Rs 5,000, an ICICI Bank customer will require entering their existing UPI PIN to authorise the payment.

Customers can authorise UPI transactions such as peer-to-peer money transfer, scan QR for in-store payments, or online payments through their biometrics, says the release.

The feature is available on the latest iMobile app versions of Android – v30, and IOS – v28.2. Android users can authorise the transactions via their fingerprint, and IOS users through facial recognition.

The introduction of biometrics brings in the dual advantage of faster payments and security, by eliminating the risk of shoulder-surfing in public spaces, ICICI Bank said in its statement.

An ICICI Bank spokesperson, said, "The introduction of biometric authentication is aligned with current regulatory guidelines, and marks a meaningful step towards enabling a more secure and seamless payment experience. By leveraging device-level biometric verification on iMobile, we aim to further strengthen transaction security while ensuring ease of use. Customers also have the flexibility to choose between PIN-based and biometric authentication, based on their preference and convenience."

iMobile users can easily activate the biometric authenticator with a few simple steps. Log into iMobile App Click on UPI payments and choose UPI settings Select account number for enabling biometric Select 'Use biometric for payments' and click 'proceed' Enter your UPI PIN for verification Authenticate the device-level biometric data

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) introduced making UPI payments up to Rs 5,000 with fingerprints and face authentication in October 2025. Biometric authentication is considered a seamless, secure and user-friendly alternative to PIN-based UPI authentication. It was introduced as an additional option in lieu of UPI PIN. At the time of its launch, NPCI said that the facility would be available for transactions up to Rs 5,000. The limit should be reviewed in due course based on performance and evaluation.