Zeta and Pluxee launch passkey authentication for RuPay prepaid-card payments
The NPCI-enabled system replaces repeat SMS OTPs with biometric or device-PIN verification for online RuPay prepaid-card transactions. Zeta says passkeys can shorten authentication to 5–7 seconds and reduce checkout abandonment, with expansion planned for more RuPay issuers.
What happened
Zeta and Pluxee launched passkey authentication for RuPay prepaid-card online payments, replacing repeat SMS OTPs with biometric or device-PIN verification. The
Key facts
- 5–7 seconds passkey authentication time
- 15–25 seconds conventional OTP flow time
- approximately 99% registration completion rate
- ₹21,367 crore digital payment fraud in FY2025
- more than five times the prior year
- April 1, 2026 RBI mandate effective date
- September 11, 2026 announcement date
Why this matters
The launch creates partnership and integration opportunities with RuPay issuers, prepaid-program managers, and biometric-authentication providers as passkeys expand beyond the initial deployment.
What to watch
- NPCI announcements naming additional RuPay issuers, acquirers or payment gateways supporting passkeys.
- Published data on authentication time, checkout abandonment, authorization uplift and fraud performance after rollout.
- Reserve Bank of India or NPCI guidance on passkey, device binding, credential recovery and liability treatment.
- Growth in RuPay prepaid ecommerce transaction share relative to UPI, wallets and debit cards.
- Reports of account-recovery abuse, biometric spoofing concerns or materially higher false declines requiring OTP fallback.
- Expand passkey authentication from Pluxee prepaid cards to additional RuPay issuer portfolios and transaction categories.
- Pair passkeys with risk-based step-up controls, retaining stronger verification for new devices, unusual merchants and high-value payments.
- Measure checkout completion, authorization rates, support contacts, fraud losses and repeat online spend against OTP-based cohorts.
- Position prepaid cards as more viable for recurring and app-based commerce where OTP friction has historically depressed usage.
- Merchant payment gateways and checkout platforms add passkey-ready flows to avoid losing conversion gains to alternative payment methods.