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A foolproof identity verification system might seem like an impossibility to begin with. Everyone wishes there were a few handy tips for successful verification. Truth be told, given the technological knowhow that the average hacker has and the learning curve for a novice user, a lot of things can go wrong. Making sure that the customer understands you at every stage of the identity verification process is very important, as in most cases there is no manual verification. There’s also sometimes a lot of information that one needs to get from the customer, and therefore how the questions are broken down to procure this information is also very important. Online identity is also not static, so organizations may need to verify and reverify over time to ensure that the customer details updated are accurate on a given day. The last hurdle, and not really a problem at the customer’s end generally, is the increase in regulatory compliance that all identity verification solution providers have to ensure.
Here are 8 tips for successful identity verification. Most of these tips are useful across countries and states present in them. Here’s a look at them now:
- Have your ID ready
Before you get ready to present yourself for a KYC, be sure to keep your ID(s) ready. You may not have sufficient time in the middle of the KYC process to search for the ID you need at a particular point. The IDs you would need could be an identity proof such as driver’s license or a proof of address such as your passport and so on. You may need more than one ID ready for the verification process. Be sure to have all of them by your side.
- Use a great camera and ensure a speedy and stable Internet connection
Modern phones have great cameras and therefore you could use any of them to get high quality pictures that will be accepted online for eKYC. The two things you would need to ensure are great lighting and a stable Internet connection. If you are using a laptop to access the Internet, make sure you also use a compatible and secure browser as you will be granting it camera and microphone access. Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge are all very good choices in this regard.
- Do not rush your verification
Make sure the images you capture are in focus. This is one of the most important tips for successful verification. This is because you may be penalized with a waiting time on uploading poor quality images on certain platforms. So take your time, and while you must not exceed it, destress yourself for that perfect click. The trick to capture an image that is in great focus is to capture it from a half meter distance. The resolution of modern day mobile phones allow capturing high quality images at such a distance without any kind of zoom.
- Do the verification by yourself only
Tips for verification aside, here is an important thing to note, for the sake of privacy as well. Do not bank on anyone else to help you with the verification. This violates the laws of privacy and also can confuse the AI and possibly even humans as to who is taking the KYC test. Put yourself in focus on possibly a white or a blue background, and this is considered one of the best tips for successful verification. Make sure the background is a solid color, no matter where you stand. A wallpaper with other individuals could be considered a hack by the system and you may be penalized.
- Use a masked ID when you need to
Several FinTech platforms in India require the user to upload a masked Aadhaar online. This is in line with RBI regulations. Use a photo editor or a PDF editor to create a masked copy of your Aadhaar. This includes masking the 12-digit number or personal information in certain ways. To get a better idea on how to mask the Aadhaar, you could visit the how-to section in the app or help guide or better yet just contact customer care via email.
- Take pictures of both sides of the ID when you have to
This is an obvious tip for successful verification. Do not just take a one-side pic of the ID. For an Aadhaar or PAN, it is mandatory to take pictures of both sides of the ID. When it comes to a passport or any other legal document, you may need to photograph several pages. Check which pages are required for KYC and always submit all of them. The pages that carry any kind of attestation by a government authority or those that describe who awarded the document are most often required.
- You and your ID must match
This is especially true for men more than women. The facial hair that men have can make it difficult for AI to identify them. If you have a beard in your ID, by all means keep one when you click your selfie. If you don’t have one in your ID, do not keep one. Though today’s face recognition is way more accurate than what it once was, with very low false positives and negatives, it is always recommended to maintain a consistency in appearance.
- Use an ID that has not expired
Of all the tips for successful identity verification, this is the one that is perhaps most overlooked. Certain IDs such as a rental agreement or a postpaid bill might have a date of expiration or a validity period. Make sure that you use the most updated version of the ID for the KYC process. This will also reduce the turnaround times for user activation.
Closing words
Your ID is your ticket to the services you avail in a digitally connected world. We hope these tips will help to get you through the KYC in most every app or website that uses them for a successful verification experience. If you are a Fintech or Crypto company looking to onboard users on scale, talk to HyperVerge, your Video KYC specialists. Not the requirement you had in mind? Perhaps it was optical character recognition. We support that and face dedupe too to fight fraud effectively. Talk to us today.
FAQs
Why is it important to verify and reverify user information?
Let’s look at this with an example. One must be sure that the Uber driver who arrived to pick you was the one whose name and photo was displayed on the app. Any inaccuracy here could jeopardize you.
Why is it necessary to go beyond legacy KYC?
It is necessary to abandon legacy KYC processes as these have a higher level of risk, are difficult to manage, and also hamper the customer experience leading to higher churn rates.
Why should you outsource your identity verification?
Organizations must outsource their identity verification to vendors who have a proven track record of maintaining high accuracy when it comes to face and text recognition. The level of risk is also minimal as customer data will be handled by them and not by you.
What is GDPR and how does it help the end customer?
GDPR, general data protection regulations, are a set of rules affecting data security and privacy in the EU. GDPR effectively makes the customer the custodian of the privacy and security of all information submitted by him/her. This makes it almost impossible for organizations to use the customer information without consent.
