Identity authentication for financial transactions

A method of providing a financial service, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a transaction voucher issued at one of a plurality of remote locations upon presentation of a form of payment and an indication of a financial service to be provided;
• authenticating an identity of a first user associated with the transaction voucher using a validation station at a location separate from the plurality of remote locations;
• and
• using at least one computing device of the validation station, activating the transaction voucher, the activated transaction voucher having associated therewith a voucher identifier, the first user or a second user able to use the activated voucher or voucher identifier at one or more of the plurality of remote locations to obtain the requested financial service, the requested financial service able to be obtained by the first user or the second user based on the authenticated identity of the first user at substantially the time of activation of the transaction voucher and independent of any additional identity verification of the first user or the second user.

A method of providing financial services, comprising the steps of:

• authenticating an identity of a first user at a first location;
• issuing to the first user a transaction voucher when the identity is authenticated, the transaction voucher able to be activated at a second location upon presentation of a form of payment and an indication of a financial service to be provided, along with at least one of the voucher or a voucher identifier associated with the transaction voucher, the second location being separate from the first location;
• receiving the activated voucher or the voucher identifier from the first user or a second user at the first location;
• and
• providing the indicated financial service in response to the activated voucher being received at the first location, the financial service able to be obtained by the first user or the second user based on the authenticated identity of the first user at the time of issuing of the voucher and independent of any additional identity verification of the first user or the second user.

A method of providing financial services, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a transaction voucher at an activation station, the transaction voucher having been issued from one of a plurality of remote terminals in response to an identity of a first user being authenticated;
• receiving, at the activation station, a form of payment and an indication of a financial service to be provided;
• and
• activating the transaction voucher at the activation station,
• wherein the first user or a second user is able to receive the requested financial service at one or more of the plurality of remote terminals by presenting the activated voucher or a voucher identifier associated with the transaction voucher, the financial service able to be obtained by the first user or the second user based on the authenticated identity of the first user at a time of issuing of the transaction voucher and independent of any additional identity verification of the first user or the second user.