An efficient exchange of messages in a system for authenticating access to a base device is facilitated through the selection of a particular biometric template from among a plurality of biometric templates. Rather than transmitting the template to a peripheral device, an indication of a location of the particular biometric template within the plurality of biometric templates is transmitted to the peripheral device. At the peripheral device, once the indication of the location and a biometric candidate are received, the particular biometric template may be located and compared to the biometric candidate. Finally, an indication of a result of the comparing may be transmitted to the base device.