SYDNEY, April 7, 2026, 07:18 AEST
Commonwealth Bank of Australia has launched a new account-opening feature, enabling select customers to verify their identity by tapping an e-passport against a smartphone. Since January, more than 2,700 people have signed up through the system. The NFC-based identity check works directly in the CommBank app on both Apple and Android, Sascha Thiel, the bank’s general manager for customer identity and digital security, told ITnews on Tuesday. 1
Timing is key here: CBA has leaned on transaction-account growth as its franchise strength metric while the banking sector remains fiercely competitive. Back in February, the bank reported 12 million retail transaction accounts, 9.4 million users on its app, and 14 million logins each day—figures it directly tied to robust deposit growth. 2
There’s another pain point in the process. CBA’s onboarding still tells new customers to have multiple forms of ID handy for possible extra checks, while migrants and international students usually get directed to a branch with their passport before they can activate a new account. 3
Thiel said it took the bank half a year to develop the feature, and for those who qualify, the whole thing can be wrapped up in “as little as one minute.” Speaking to ITnews, he noted CBA sees itself as the first bank in Australia tapping near-field communication—NFC—for onboarding, pulling data straight from the chip in an ePassport. 1
For now, the passport-chip service targets Australians, though Thiel says CBA wants to extend it to incoming migrants and international students. Right now, the bank’s site still tells those users they’ll need to visit a branch for ID checks before their accounts are fully active. 1
CBA says its new check complies with know-your-customer and anti-money-laundering requirements—the core identity screens banks use to catch fraud and dirty money. According to ITnews, the process matches the image from a passport chip against a selfie. CBA’s own privacy notice details that online ID verification might include scanning documents, turning a selfie into a biometric template, and sharing personal data with agencies or verification firms: GBG, Equifax, and Daon all get a mention. 1
This lines up with a broader digital push. Back in February, during CBA’s half-year results, Chief Executive Matt Comyn highlighted investments in “AI enabled digital experiences,” aiming for stronger customer engagement and a more seamless retail banking journey. 2
In February, CBA posted record first-half cash earnings, driven by a strong showing in home loans, business banking, and deposits—a performance Reuters said highlighted the bank’s scale edge over rivals. Atlas Funds Management’s Michael Haynes described it as “operational excellence across mortgages.” Reuters also noted CBA has been winning business-banking share from National Australia Bank and ANZ. 4
The rollout so far barely dents CBA’s total customer numbers, and the bank isn’t sharing a timeline for making the passport-chip authentication available to those still stuck with branch visits or extra paperwork. Privacy also remains murky. According to CBA’s own online-ID notice, selfie images collected during verification could end up on a bank fraud watchlist. But Thiel told ITnews the biometric data from the ePassport process doesn’t get saved or kept. 1
CBA finished Monday up 0.52% at A$172.80, Morningstar figures cited in Australian media show. NAB lost 0.29%, and Westpac dropped 0.52%. Still, CBA closed the day A$7.80 under its 52-week peak from Feb. 23. 5
