Lloyds Bank has said that its customers will be the first in the UK to be able to support their bank account application using the chip in their passport.

The app utilises Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to scan a chip embedded within the passport, similar to how contactless payments are made through services such as Apple Pay.

The bank said that while the use of NFC tech is common, particularly since the launch of contactless payments, it is "amongst the first" to use the technology for ID verification within UK banking.

The bank says that the new “high-tech” feature speeds up the process of applying by pre-populating key data fields, including name, title, date of birth, gender, and country of birth.

According to Lloyds, the new in-app passport scanning also reduces the risk of errors which can cause delays.

Surina Somal, head of product, packaged bank accounts & transformation at Lloyds Bank said: “Unlocking technology is key in making it easier to bank with us. Using existing technology within passports, customers can open and complete their bank account application on their phone. It's the first of many updates we are making to our banking apps over the next few months, to give our customers the best possible experience.”

---