Handset vendor Huawei has built biometric security into the soon-to-be-released Mate 7 smartphone so that users of the Alipay app can make payments without needing to use their passwords.

Users of the mobile payment service just need to leave their fingerprint on the handset’s reader to authenticate a transaction, which should be a speedier process than entering a numeric code, said the companies.

The announcement appeared on the Alizila blog of Alibaba, which is Alipay’s parent.

Huawei is providing chip-level security for the Mate 7, which means although fingerprint data can be saved and stored on the phone, the data itself is encrypted and cannot be accessed.

The use of biometric encryption to control access to mobile devices – as well as authenticate mobile payments – has been widely discussed but so far little used in the mobile industry.

However, Apple included the Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 5s and plans to open the technology up to developers with the forthcoming iOS8. Together with Huawei’s new device, perhaps fingerprint technology is headling for a greater take-up.