Mobile-only start-up bank Starling has begun rolling out 3D Secure for online purchases.

The online authentication tool requires account holders to complete an authentication process for some purchases.

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For the authentication, Starling has decided to use one-time passwords. These will be sent to the user’s phone via SMS. One code will be sent for each purchase and static passwords will be left behind.

A blog on Starling’s website stated: “For certain transactions, we want to make sure that the person making the purchase is the account holder. One way to do this is to make the account holder provide information that only they would know, for example, codes sent to the phone number linked to your Starling bank account.

“A few websites require banks to support 3D Secure, and rightly so. This is all about making payments more secure for customers. That’s why we’re working hard to roll out this security feature out to all our customers.”

There is no charge for the one-time password texts and no changes to how the card is used elsewhere. 3D Secure will be rolled out to all Starling customers over the coming weeks.

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Starling is currently working on a biometric solution for authentication as an alternative to passwords. It is planned to also be rolled out this year.

Starling Bank cards

Starling Bank’s card for customers is designed vertically, rather than horizontally as in tradition.

The digital-only bank flipped its debit card on its head to reflect the way that consumers interact with their cards at checkout counters and ATMs.

Landscape cards made sense in the past with the way old card machines worked but the mobile-only bank insists that it’s time to move on from that onto the vertical Starling card.

Starling Bank’s vertical card design has moved away from its trademark purple to a light teal. The bank has stated that the colour was inspired by the ‘blue-green’ tones of the starling bird.

The colours chosen are also one of the initial group of 16 original ‘web colours. ’ This represents Starling’s digital heritage and commitment to innovation.