Quick answer
Open a completed verification and look at Result Overview on the Overview tab. It shows a tick or cross for five checks: Data extraction, Biometrics, Tampering checks, Device/Location and APLYiD/AML. A cross on any of them is why the verification went to Review or Fail. Open the matching tab for the detail.
Only a failed face match makes a verification Fail. Every other cross sends it to Review.
The data check (APLYiD/AML) works differently in New Zealand, Australia and the UK. See the section for your country below.
The five checks in Result Overview
Check | What it checks | Where to see the detail |
Data extraction | The details were read from your client's ID. | Scanned Documents and Extracted Data on the Overview tab |
Biometrics | Your client's face matches the photo on their ID (face match), and a real, live person took the selfie video (liveness). | Biometrics tab, and Video on the Overview tab |
Tampering checks | The ID looks genuine and unaltered. | Tampering Checks tab |
Device/Location | Whether your client used a VPN when they did the verification. | Location tab |
APLYiD/AML | Your client's name, date of birth and address against data sources, plus PEP, sanctions and adverse media. | APLYiD/AML Check tab |
Data extraction
Compare the photo of the ID in Scanned Documents with Extracted Data. If something was read wrongly, e.g. a letter O instead of a zero, or a middle name joined to the first name, click Edit next to Extracted Data, correct it and click Submit.
This re-runs the data check without involving your client. A re-run is charged.
Provided Data shows the details you entered when sending. It's for your reference only. The verification checks the details read from the ID, not these.
Biometrics
Face match and liveness are checked separately, so one can pass while the other doesn't.
Face match: if your client's face doesn't match the photo on their ID, the verification is a Fail. A face match fail can't be overridden.
Liveness: if the system can't confirm a live person took the selfie video, the verification goes to Review. Watch the video and decide whether to approve or reject it.
Tampering checks
If one of these is flagged, the verification goes to Review so you can check the ID yourself. Glare, shadows or a blurry photo can also flag a check, which is why it isn't an automatic fail. Click any flagged item on the Tampering Checks tab to see what it checks for.
Check | What it looks for | What to check |
Detail check | Measurements, fonts, text or colours that don't match a real ID | Fields that look out of place or altered. Long names or addresses can flag this by mistake. |
Document integrity | A damaged ID, an ID not fully in the photo, or a photocopy or photo of the ID | The ID is clean, fully in the shot, and the physical card was photographed |
Image composition | The ID may not be physically present, e.g. shown on a screen or printed | Pixelation, screen edges, a mouse cursor, paper or black-and-white printing |
Photo check | The face photo on the ID may have been replaced or altered | Edges or shadows around the photo, or a different texture or gloss over the face |
Device/Location
This is flagged only when your client used a VPN. Doing the verification from overseas doesn’t flag it. It sends the verification to Review, not Fail. Check the Location tab and decide, in line with your own AML policy, whether you're comfortable approving it.
A VPN can make it look like your client is somewhere else, e.g. Auckland when they're in Tauranga. If in doubt, ask your client.
APLYiD/AML: the data check
The data check compares the details read from your client's ID with data sources. It's only run for Biometric + AML Check verifications. Which sources are used depends on your account's region and on your client's ID and address.
New Zealand
Detail | What's needed to verify it |
Name | 2 sources: 1 government source and 1 independent source |
Date of birth | Matches a source |
Address | At least 1 independent source, with the name matching on the same source |
Government sources: NZTA (driver licence) and DIA (passport).
Independent sources: e.g. credit bureau records and NZ property ownership records.
Australia
Australian driver licences and passports are checked with the government's Document Verification Service (DVS). Your account needs AU data access for this. Without it, you'll see "User Credentials Not Valid".
Australian sources need an Australian address. If your client has an Australian ID but lives in another country, only the ID itself can be checked, so the name and address may not be verified.
United Kingdom
In the UK, your client's name and date of birth must match 2 or more data sources, and their address must match 1 or more. At least one match must be from a government source. The address is checked first. If it doesn't match, the rest of the data check can't continue.
UK data sources include the Electoral Register, National Identity Register, Credit Header, Mortality Register and landline records (where available).
UK sources need a UK address, so a client living overseas will usually go to Review.
Address verification turned off
A Company Admin can turn off address verification in Preferences > Settings. The address is still captured and checked, but a failed address won't affect the overall result.
PEP, sanctions and adverse media
On the APLYiD/AML Check tab, PEP sanctions and adverse media clear under Overview shows a tick if there's no match, or a cross if there's a possible PEP, sanctions or adverse media match. A false positive can happen when someone shares the same name and a similar date of birth with a person on the list. If it isn't your client, note why (e.g. a different date of birth or nationality) when you approve the verification.
Grey circles, "No data to display" or no ticks
What you see | Why |
Grey circles instead of ticks or crosses on the data check | The data wasn't checked, e.g. the verification was sent as Biometric Only, or your account is set up for biometrics only. |
"User Credentials Not Valid" and "No data to display" | Your account doesn't have access to the data source for that ID, e.g. an Australian ID without AU data access. Contact us about access, then re-run the check. |
"No data to display" for an overseas ID | IDs from outside your region can't be data-checked. See Can I verify a client who is overseas or has a foreign ID? |
Licence details show N/A (UK) | UK IDs can't be checked with the government. The data check uses independent UK data instead. |
Common reasons for Review
Reason | Why it happens | What to do |
Liveness flagged | The system couldn't confirm a live person took the selfie video, e.g. poor lighting, movement or a weak connection. | Watch the video and decide. |
No independent data match | Your client hasn't applied for credit recently, doesn't have utility bills in their name and doesn't own property, e.g. young people, renters living with family, or people recently back from overseas. | Ask your client for extra information to confirm their name, date of birth and address under your AML/CFT programme. |
No address match | Your client has moved recently, or the address isn't linked to their name in any source. | Ask for proof of address, such as a bank statement or a letter from a government agency. |
ID and address from different countries | Sources for one country can't check an address in another. | Ask for proof of address. |
Name not verified | The name wasn't found in enough sources, was read wrongly, or has changed. See Why wasn't my client's name, driver licence or passport verified? | Check Extracted Data first, then follow that guide. |
Location flagged | Your client used a VPN. | Check the Location tab and decide. |
Tampering check flagged, or a problem with the ID | Glare, damage, an expired ID or a possible altered ID. | Check the ID images and decide. |
PEP, sanctions or adverse media match | A possible match on a watchlist. | Check the APLYiD/AML Check tab and decide whether it's your client. |
To approve or reject a Review, see My client's verification says "Review". What does that mean and what do I do?
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do so many of my verifications go to Review?
Usually because the client isn't in enough independent data sources, has moved recently, or used a VPN. Review isn't a fail. It means you need to make the final decision.
My client is under 18.
They can be verified with a current passport or driver licence, but the verification may go to Review because they usually don't appear in independent data sources such as the credit bureau.
Can the result be updated after it's completed?
If it's in Review, you approve or reject it. You can also edit Extracted Data and re-run the data check (charged). A face match fail can't be changed.