Verify your identity by going to the About You page. Then follow these steps:

1. Click Identity Check. You'll see a Stripe Identity popup (Stripe is the service we're using to verify IDs)
2. Follow the instructions within Stripe
3. Take a photo of your government ID
4. Take a photo of yourself
5. Submit!

Stripe will check to ensure your government ID is valid, that the photo of you matches your ID, and that  your name, date of birth, and government ID number exist in a global set of databases. In other words, they will check that you're a real person and the documents you submit match your identity.

Stripe will ask for your consent before collecting and using your biometric information. They’ll only use your verification data in accordance with the permissions you grant before starting the verification process, and based on their Privacy Policy.

For more information on why we have Stripe Identity verification see our FAQ.

ID Verification Best Practices

Before starting the verification process, here’s what you need:

• A valid government-issued photo ID document. Not a photocopy or a picture of an ID document. Ensure that the ID document isn’t expired.
• A device with a camera, if possible, use a mobile device. Cameras on mobile devices typically take higher-quality photos than a webcam.

The quality of the images captured affects success rates dramatically. Below are a few best practices to help make sure that your verification succeeds:

• Capture a clear image. Make sure that the images aren’t too dark or bright, and don’t have a glare. Hold steady and allow your camera to focus to avoid blurry photos.
• Don’t block any part of your ID document in the image. Ideally you can lay it flat to take the photo.
• Don’t block any part of your face. Remove sunglasses, masks, or other accessories.
• Find a location with ambient lighting. Avoid spaces with strong overhead lights that cast a shadow on your face or ID document. Avoid sitting directly in front of a bright light which can wash out your face and add a glare to your ID document.

Who has access to my verification data?

Both CloudResearch and Stripe have access to the information that you submit through the verification flow. We rely on Stripe to help store your verification data. Stripe uses access controls and security standards that are at least as stringent as those used to handle their own KYC and payments compliance data.

Learn more about how Stripe handles and stores your data.