The bank will let new customers snap a front-facing photo on their iOS or Android phone and have it cross-referenced against their passport or their driving licence. Execs believe it'll save business customers time as they'll no longer need to visit a branch to verify who they are. "We also expect the convenience and speed of a 'selfie' to become the verification method of choice for our customers" said HSBC's global propositions boss Richard Davies.

The app utilises facial tracking technology, which matches specific parts of a customer's face to photos used in official documents from over 150 countries. It's similar to Mastercard's Identity Check, an online system that maps a user's face instead to verify online payments.