Abstract: A personal identification system for use with fingerprint data in security sensitive transactions is disclosed. The systems performs according to the following steps: generating an access file for specifying a plurality of different comparison ratio ("CR") levels with each level corresponding to an acceptable transaction; receiving the requester fingerprint data and its accompanying request parameters; comparing the requester fingerprint data with one of a plurality of fingerprint data in a master file corresponding to the account upon which a transaction is requested; generating an AR/RR based on result of comparison; evaluating the request for transaction and the AR/RR using the access file; if the AR/RR is acceptable for the requested transaction, granting the request after successfully passing additional authentication tests, and if the AR/RR is not acceptable for the transaction, entering at least one exception routine for additional authentication.