What is eKYC and how do banks use it?

Published October 7, 2026 · FirstFintech Editorial Team

What is eKYC?

Electronic know your customer (eKYC) is the use of internet or digital means to verify a customer's identity. It replaces branch visits and paper copies with checks the customer completes on their own device.

How does eKYC work?

eKYC systems often combine ID document verification, biometric authentication such as facial recognition and liveness checks, and real-time risk monitoring. The customer scans an ID document and takes a selfie, and the system checks that the face matches the document and belongs to a live person.

Information can also be checked against government databases, such as a country's official passport records. The result is a verified customer record the bank can use to open an account.

What is the difference between KYC and eKYC?

KYC is the obligation to verify who a customer is; eKYC is doing that verification digitally. The purpose is the same, but eKYC runs the checks remotely, without a branch visit.

How does AI improve eKYC?

AI reads identity documents with OCR, matches the selfie to the document photo with facial recognition, and flags suspicious onboarding attempts for review. FirstFintech's eKYC runs on its Gen-AI suite, which can be deployed on-premises for data privacy.

Where does eKYC fit in a bank's digital stack?

eKYC is the front door to every digital product: account opening, wallets, cards and lending all start with a verified customer. In FirstFintech's platform it powers onboarding in the e-wallet and is available as a KYC API in Banking as a Service.