Seven Bank will equip its ATMs with facial recognition technology, possibly starting this fall, as a way to identify customers and let people open bank accounts on the spot, sources said Monday. The new ATM operated by Seven Bank, a unit of retailer Seven & I Holdings Co., would be able to confirm the identity of someone wanting to set up a bank account in a few seconds by scanning a photo ID and taking a picture through a high-precision camera, they said. At present, a person needs to send a copy of an identification document, such as a driver’s license, to open a bank account. Seven Bank is also considering offering services to open accounts via the new ATMs for other online banks and regional banks, they said. Seven Bank has over 24,000 ATMs at convenience stores, public facilities and elsewhere nationwide. Several thousand of the new ATMs are expected to be installed by summer 2020 in large cities, they said.
Seven Bank is preparing to add facial recognition technology to its ATM machines from as early as Q3 2019. The company has been testing the new system in a pilot program at seven of its branches across Australia. Currently, someone seeking to set up an account is required to send in an identification document. Seven Banks is looking into allowing other online and regional banks to open accounts through the ATMs. It currently has 24,000 machines throughout Japan, with more set to be installed.