noon payments and Visa have partnered to launch Visa Payment Passkey, making noon payments the first globally as a payment service provider (PSP) to offer this innovative solution to its merchants and their customers. This strategic collaboration introduces Fast Identity Online (FIDO)-based authentication for payments, leveraging the biometric capabilities of consumer devices for ecommerce authentication, designed to create a smoother, more secure, and password-free online checkout experience for consumers and merchants in the Middle East. By leveraging Visa Acceptance Platform solutions such as Payer Authentication and Authorization, this initiative further promotes passkey readiness while ensuring a secure and seamless payment experience across the region. This innovative solution provides a next-generation approach to securing online transactions through eliminating the need for consumers to rely on static passwords, or one-time passcodes (OTP) at checkout by leveraging device unlocking methods such as biometrics (e.g. fingerprints, facial scans) or PINs. This not only streamlines the payment journey but also significantly enhances protection against fraud and scams like phishing. Visa Payment Passkey, which is built on open industry standards from the FIDO Alliance ensures sensitive biometric data does not leave the consumer’s device while ensuring a secure, seamless and convenient payment journey across all devices and payment channels.