How Tokyu achieved 12 times faster sign-in with passkeys

Find out how Tokyu, a railway company in Japan, achieved 12 times faster sign-in with passkeys, helping thousands of commuters daily.

Eiji Kitamura
Takumi Kitamura
Takumi Kitamura
Homepage

Published: October 14, 2024

Tokyu Corporation is a conglomerate centered around its railway lines which serve 5.5 million residents, with annual ridership reaching around 1 billion. The group comprises over 200 companies, operating a diverse range of businesses including transportation, real estate, supermarkets, hotels, and other lifestyle services. In July 2021, Tokyu established a new organization called "URBAN HACKS" to promote digital transformation in town development.

Challenges with sign-in user experience with a diverse user base

In 2023, Tokyu launched the "TOKYU ID", a company-wide common ID service aimed at enabling cross-service sign-in across the group.

Tokyu's customers primarily use its services to meet needs rooted in their daily lives along the railway lines. Due to the nature of the services, there are many situations where users need to sign up or sign in urgently or within a limited timeframe. For example, users may need to sign-in in front of a ticket gate to display a QR code for a digital ticket to board a train. Many of its users, including elderly individuals, may have limited technological literacy. Additionally, as TOKYU ID expands in the future, users may need to sign up for TOKYU ID at a supermarket checkout to register for a new digital point card

For Tokyu, sign-in requires not only high security but also an intuitive and smooth user experience for a wide range of users. The previous sign-in process involved username and password authentication and mandatory two-factor authentication (2FA) via email OTP, which was time-consuming, taking an average of 143.6 seconds.

With email-based 2FA, Tokyu users take 143.6 seconds on average to login.
With email-based 2FA, Tokyu users take 143.6 seconds on average to login.

Introducing passkeys

In February 2024, approximately six months after its launch, TOKYU ID introduced passkey sign-in. By implementing passkeys, Tokyu successfully reduced sign-in time by approximately 12 times, to an average of 12.2 seconds.

With passkeys, Tokyu users can login in 12.2 seconds on average.
With passkeys, Tokyu users can login in 12.2 seconds on average.

The TOKYU ID sign-in experience is designed with user-friendliness in mind:

  • The sign-in screen clearly displays both username input and a passkey sign-in button, allowing users to easily choose their preferred sign-in method.
  • The "Sign-in with passkey" button is prominently placed above the fold on major devices to promote awareness and encourage passkey registration and usage.
Tokyu's sign-in screen incorporates passkeys.
Tokyu's sign-in screen incorporates passkeys.
Tokyu's sign-in screen incorporates passkeys.
Tokyu's sign-in screen incorporates passkeys. (Translated version)

Tokyu considers this significant improvement proves how non-tech savvy users can more intuitively and easily sign-in using a passkey compared to tedious and complex 2FA.

The results

    11.7 x

    faster sign-ins

    45 %

    users have passkeys

    63 %

    new users create passkeys

    24 %

    users sign in using passkeys

  • Average time to sign in improved 11.7 times from 143.6 sec to 12.2 sec.
  • Approximately 45% of current TOKYU ID users have passkeys.
  • About 63% of new users registered after March 15, 2024, create passkeys.
  • Currently, 24% of users sign in using passkeys.

Tokyu is considering swapping the positions of the username field and the passkey button when the percentage of users signing in with passkeys exceeds 50%. This is expected to further enhance the passkey-centric user experience.

Conclusion

Tokyu Corporation's adoption of passkey sign-in demonstrates its dedication to enhancing user experience and accessibility. By prioritizing user needs and adopting innovative technologies, Tokyu continues to lead the way in providing seamless and secure services to its diverse customer base.