Amazon Alexa users will soon be able to send money using voice commands

Amazon is adding a feature that will let you send money using its voice assistant Alexa. A Virginia based software company Daon that provides biometric software solutions to banks is developing the technology to send money through Amazon's voice assistant. The feature might be adopted by banks within 9 to 18 months. Amazon voice assistants are available on a series of smart speakers launched by the company.[caption id="attachment_4293497" align="alignleft" width="380"]

Amazon Alexa[/caption]According to a report on CNET the e-commerce website is also planning to provide a checking account that makes it easy to transfer money from one account to another with banks including J.P. Morgan and Capital One. Capital One, Ally Bank and American Express already offer an Alexa Skill that allows the users to clear credit card dues, auto loan payment and even transfer money from the saving account to checking accounts. But, the skill of transferring money form one account to another is not available yet.The report mentioned that the new feature to transfer money through Alexa could face competition as phones have already made it easy to send and receive money.A demo presented by one of the engineers of the company (Daon) developing the skill asked Alexa to open the Daon bank account by voice. Post this, Alexa provided two options of either checking balance or sending money. Once the user chooses to send money through voice command, Alexa asks for authentication, which was done through the mobile app of the bank.Authentication can be done by facial recognition (taking snap of the face), or through voice, fingerprint or a pin on the app depending upon the bank. Users don't need to install another app for authentication, the bank app will be used to authenticate a transaction.CNET notes that to stop anyone from send money through the voice command, users will be required to add the person as the payee on the users bank account online to send the money through Alexa. The report also mentions that Alexa might be able to directly authenticate transactions using the voice of the user in future.