Biometric Benefits for Churches
As we focus on the changing world of giving, one huge change is in the use of biometrics. Biometrics allow for giving to be easier and faster. It’s where commerce is heading and where we will be forced to offer this type of giving to our members sooner rather than later. The following is a reprint of a post I wrote and can be found online at https://www.onlinegiving.org/support/biometrics-benefits-for-churches.
If I had read the above title to this post twenty-five years ago, I would have thought you were mixing Science Fiction with Religion. My first question might have been, what are biometrics? The next would have been what benefits my church would see in using this new technology. In this post, I will try to answer those questions for you.
First, let’s establish for those of us technically challenged individuals what biometrics is and what that means for a church. Twenty-five years ago, I might have headed for the local library to get my answer. What did we ever do before the invention of the Internet and search engines? Today, I just Googled “definition of biometrics,” and instantly, I found this definition. “A measurable physical characteristic or personal behavioral trait used to recognize the identity, or verify the claimed identity, of an applicant. Facial images, fingerprints, and iris scan samples are all examples of biometrics.”1.
Today’s consumer wants to do all their commerce transactions in the palm of their hand, and biometrics makes that an easy process. Consider these statistics:
- 150 million people use passwordless logins each month; it’s safe to say the age of the passwordless experience is now (ZDNet).
- New research shows that over 70% of people choose passwordless login over traditional usernames and passwords (Blink).
- The average iPhone user unlocks their device 89% of the time using Touch ID (Apple Insider).
- Over the last few years, the number of devices with biometrics (Touch ID) increased by over 200 million, with an estimated 1.1 billion devices produced in 2020 alone (Statista).
The above stats prove that if we give our members access to these tools, they will use them. Like it or not, our society is quickly moving away from cash. I now write so few paper checks that I must think about how to properly do that. Giving through my cell phone is easier, in part, due to biometrics.
At OnlineGiving.org, we immediately saw the potential for biometrics. Using biometrics, we provide a broad range of password-less authentication methods, including single-click registration or login using Google or Facebook, Touch ID, Face ID, and text message code login. Our authentication philosophy is to offer donors a wide range of convenient and secure methods of accessing their accounts.
But why should your church utilize this tool? Let me answer that by giving you four key benefits of biometrics for churches.
One great benefit of biometrics is their speed. We live in a 5G world. At the dawn of the Internet, it would take hours to download a picture. Today, it takes less than a second. This speed has made us impatient. Studies show that if someone can’t quickly find what they are looking for on a site, they will bail out in under ten seconds. That same impatience carries over into donating. The easier and quicker the process is, the more apt people will use that process to give. Give your members a fast way to give, and they will be more apt to give.
Another benefit is they are secure. The latest safe and secure web browsers already allow for Touch ID without a mobile app, and Touch ID is now present in today’s most popular browsers. People also frequently use mobile phone numbers instead of passwords with one-time text message authentication codes, which serve a dual purpose of obtaining a valid phone number for the church and easy login for the donor. Your donors value security, and biometrics ensures not only a fast transaction but also a secure transaction.
Here is another benefit: they are convenient. I don’t need to remember to write a check before I leave for church or have cash on my person. Biometrics also means I don’t have to remember my password. Donors can set up their giving without remembering a password. The password-less experience allows people to use their Touch ID-enabled devices or mobile phone numbers to register and access their accounts without the need to provide or remember a password. Touch ID uses a smart device fingerprint reader or Face ID scanner to safely, securely, and quickly access user accounts. I never forget my finger, but my password is another issue. Biometrics gives me the convenience of one less thing I must remember as I try to get out the door to make it to church on time.
Finally, they show your relevance, allowing you to connect with NextGen donors. If you want to attract and keep younger generations of donors, you must give them the means by which they prefer to do commerce. To see how much younger generations are tied to smartphones, visit your local Starbucks. From buying their coffee to reading the news while they drink it, people’s heads are down, looking at their phones. It might seem small to you, but when a church offers the latest technology, it speaks volumes to the Next Generation. As our key donor base, Baby Boomers, ages out, it is imperative that we connect with younger generations. Biometrics gives you that benefit.
Every church can benefit from using biometrics. Consider this fact: the largest way people access our church partners’ giving websites is through biometrics. We have a 70% adoption rate for touch or face recognition when it is introduced. Our partners are seeing firsthand the benefits of biometrics. Are you?
To learn more about how your church can benefit from biometrics, call us at 615-206-4000. We’d love to show you how our safe and secure platforms can help you raise more dollars for your ministry.
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