Identity theft protection company LifeLock is back today with the launch of a new mobile app designed for better credit card management, called Identity. The goal with the app is to offer consumers a single place where they can view the online accounts for their various credit cards, as well as update those accounts with new information, like their new address or credit card number, for example.
To get started with the app, you’ll need to login to your credit card accounts via Identity, or it can import your credentials from your browser or password manager. When you need to update your information – like entering in a new mailing address after a move, for example – you can enter it into the app and Identity will update it across all the accounts you select, automatically.
Another aspect to this new service is that it can also determine which businesses have your credit card information saved on their own websites, or associated with your account. Identity will let you log in to your various online accounts using your email or it can pull your account information from its password importer feature, then display which businesses have your payment information on file.
The company claims this sort of app is needed because the average person in the U.S. is tied to dozens of online accounts, so when their credit card number or address changes, it can cause a breakdown across all their online accounts at once. That’s a headache, as anyone who’s ever had to go through this process could tell you.
But in the case of some online accounts – like making your car payment – missing a payment because of this administrative burden can lead to dings on your consumer credit report. In other cases, you may be charged late fees or have your services cancelled.
LifeLock says the app stores all information locally on your smartphone, not in the cloud or a remote server, for security reasons. It also doesn’t store your login, passwords, or data itself, it notes.
While definitely useful, the Identity app doesn’t seem like the kind of thing people would need to use all the time. Its primary purpose is account management and updates, but it doesn’t offer features that would see consumers returning on a regular basis – like tracking their spending, browsing offers on new credit cards, paying bills, or other tasks.
Additionally, people are likely to be concerned whether LifeLock’s claims can be trusted here. Last year, the company paid a $100 million fine with the FTC for failing to put adequate data protections in place for things like customers’ credit cards, bank accounts, and Social Security Numbers. Now, it’s back, nearly a year later, hoping consumers will hand over their payment credentials for centralized management. Well, good luck with that?
The new Identity app is a free download on iTunes and Google Play.