An apparatus includes a determination unit, an authentication unit, and a using unit. The determination unit determines, from among application programs enabling user authentication using user identification information stored in a storage medium, an application program having application information containing information representing that the user authentication can be performed, as an application program to be used for the user authentication. Using the application program determined by the determination unit, the authentication unit determines whether input information that is input by a user matches the user identification information stored in the storage medium so as to perform the user authentication. When the input information and the user identification information match, the using unit uses the information stored in the storage medium.