How to complete your IdentityCheck

A business you deal with has asked you to confirm your identity. It takes a few minutes on your phone, and this page walks you through it.

  • A few minutes
  • Nothing to download
  • No account or password
  • No charge to you

See the stepsSomething not working?

At a glance

What you will see

The screens differ a little from business to business, but most checks follow this path.

  1. 1
    Open your link
  2. 2
    A few questionsIf the business asks
  3. 3
    Photograph your ID
  4. 4
    Take a selfie
  5. 5
    All done
Before you start

What you need

Your original ID

A passport, driver licence or national ID card. International documents are accepted.

A phone with a camera

A computer works too, but a phone is easiest.

Good, even light

Near a window or under a bright light, without glare.

A few quiet minutes

Finish in one go so the link does not time out.

The one thing that matters most

Photograph the real document. A photocopy, a scan, or your ID shown on another screen will not pass, because the check is built to spot a photo of a photo.

Works best on
  • Safari on iPhone or iPad
  • Chrome on Android
  • Chrome or Firefox on a computer

iOS 15.5 or later, or Android 10 or later, with an up-to-date browser.

Step by step

Six steps from link to done

  1. 1

    Open the link you were sent

    It comes from the business that asked you, by email and sometimes by text message. Read the short agreement and choose Confirm my identity. On a computer, scan the code on screen to carry on, on your phone.

  2. 2
    Depends on the business

    Answer a few questions, if asked

    Depending on why you are being verified, the business may ask you to fill in a short form first. That can mean confirming your details, giving consent to the checks, answering a few questions or uploading a document. What you see depends on the business and the reason for the check.

  3. 3

    Allow the camera

    Your browser asks to use the camera, and sometimes the microphone. Say yes, or the check cannot take your photos.

  4. 4

    Photograph your ID

    Lay the original document flat, fit the whole thing in the frame and hold still. The details are read for you, so there is nothing to type. If it has two sides, you will be asked for the back as well.

  5. 5

    Take a selfie

    Look at the camera with your face clearly visible and well lit. Glasses are fine. Remove a hat, mask or anything covering your face.

  6. 6

    You are done

    A result is usually ready within seconds and goes to the business that asked. Select Continue to see if they need anything else from you.

Some businesses also check your name against sanctions and politically exposed persons lists. If they do, the screens tell you and ask for your consent first.

A clear photo first time

Getting your photos right

  • Flat, sharp, all four corners in frame

  • Glare across the document

  • Edges cut off

  • Blurry or moving

  • A photo of a screen or copy

  • Fingers over the details

Do

  • Use the original, physical document
  • Lay it flat on a plain surface
  • Fit all four corners inside the frame
  • Use soft, even light, such as near a window
  • Hold the phone steady until it captures

Avoid

  • A photocopy, a scan, or your ID shown on a screen
  • Glare or reflections across the document
  • Fingers over any part of the ID
  • Edges cut off, or a blurry photo
  • An expired document

For the selfie: a plain background, your face in the centre of the frame, and light in front of you rather than behind. A change in appearance since your ID photo was taken is usually fine.

If something is not working

Quick fixes

Most common

I cannot see the button to take the photo

The camera is working and there is no error, but there is no button to take the picture. This almost always means your phone is set to show very large text, or to zoom the whole display. Either can push the button off the bottom of the screen.

Set them back to the default while you complete the check, then change them back afterwards.

On an iPhone

Text size

  1. Open Settings, then Accessibility.
  2. Tap Display & Text Size, then Larger Text.
  3. Turn Larger Accessibility Sizes off and move the slider back to the middle.

Display zoom

  1. Open Settings, then Display & Brightness.
  2. Tap Display Zoom.
  3. Choose Default, then tap Done.
On an Android phone

Font size and display size

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Accessibility, or Display, then Display size and text.
  3. Move both Font size and Display size back to the default.

Menu names vary between phone makers. If you cannot find them, search Settings for "font size" or "display size".

Then reopen the link you were sent and try again. If you had zoomed into the page with two fingers, pinch out so the page is back to normal size.

I was asked to try again

That is not a fail. A photo was not clear enough to read. Open the same link and retake it in better light, with the whole document in frame.

The camera will not start

Your browser needs permission to use the camera. Check it is allowed in your phone's settings for the browser you are using, close other apps using the camera, then reopen the link.

My link has expired or will not open

Links time out if a check is left unfinished, and stop working once it is complete. Ask the business that sent it for a new one.

I cannot find the email

Look in your spam, junk and promotions folders. If it is not there, ask the business to check your email address and send it again.

The link opened inside another app

Links opened from Facebook, Messenger or some email apps can open in a built-in browser that blocks the camera. Open the link in Safari or Chrome instead.

It still will not work on my phone

Update your phone and browser, restart, and try again. Or use a family member's phone: there is nothing to install, so nothing is left behind on it.

Why you are being asked

It protects you as well as them

Many businesses, including accountants, lawyers, real estate agents and financial advisers, are required by anti-money laundering laws to confirm who their clients are before acting for them. Others check identity to stop fraud.

A check like this is safer than the alternative. You do not email copies of your passport or licence, and nobody keeps a photocopy in a folder.

Your information

How it is looked after

  • Encrypted

    Protected in transit and at rest, and held on Google Cloud in the EU and Australia.

  • Seen only by people with permission

    The business sees the result, the details read from your ID and your photos. Access is limited to authorised people and protected by two-factor authentication.

  • Images are not kept for good

    Your ID photos move to secure cold storage 45 days after your check and are permanently deleted at 12 months.

  • Kept only as long as the law requires

    The record of the check is kept for the period the business must legally retain it, such as seven years in Australia. Your data is never sold.

More detail: Security · Privacy policy

Questions

Common questions

Why has a business asked me to verify my identity?

Many businesses, including accountants, lawyers, real estate agents and financial advisers, are required by anti-money laundering laws to confirm who their clients are before they act for them. Others check identity to protect you and themselves from fraud. IdentityCheck is the tool they use to do it securely, without you posting or emailing copies of your documents.

Is this link genuine?

IdentityCheck is run by StackGo Pty Ltd, an Australian company, and the link is sent on behalf of a business you deal with. If you were not expecting it, contact that business using details you already have, not the ones in the email, and ask them to confirm. You will never be asked for a password, bank details or a payment.

What ID can I use?

An original, valid, government-issued photo ID: a passport, a driver licence, a national ID card or a residence permit. Documents from more than 230 countries and territories are accepted, so you can use an international document.

Can I use a photo, scan or copy of my ID?

No. Photograph the original document itself. A photocopy, a scan, or a picture of your ID on a computer or phone screen will not pass, because the check is built to spot a photo of a photo. Using the original is the surest way to get a clear result first time.

Do I need to download an app or create an account?

No. The check runs in the browser on your phone or computer. There is nothing to install, and no account or password to create.

How long does it take?

A few minutes for most people. The result is usually ready within seconds of your selfie. Have your ID with you before you open the link, so you can finish in one go.

Why do I need to take a selfie?

The selfie confirms that the person holding the ID is the person pictured on it, and that a real person is present rather than a photo or a screen. It is what stops someone else using a stolen or copied document in your name.

Can I do it on a computer?

Yes, if your computer has a camera. Most people find a phone easier, so the screen offers a code you can scan to carry on, on your phone.

Why am I being asked to fill in a form or give consent?

Some businesses need more than your ID. Depending on the reason for the check, they may ask you to confirm your details, consent to identity and screening checks, answer a few questions or upload a document. It is part of the same secure link, and the business decides what is included. If you are unsure why something is asked, check with them.

Which phones and browsers work?

Most recent phones work. Use Safari on an iPhone or iPad, Chrome on Android, or Chrome or Firefox on a computer, with iOS 15.5 or later or Android 10 or later and an up-to-date browser. If the link opens inside another app, such as Facebook, Messenger or your email app, open it in Safari or Chrome instead.

Does it cost me anything?

No. There is no charge to you for completing an IdentityCheck.

I was asked to try again. Did I fail?

No. Being asked to try again means a photo was not clear enough to read, usually because of glare, blur or a cut-off edge. Open the same link again and retake the photo in better light with the whole document in frame. Most people succeed on the second try.

My link has expired or will not open. What now?

Links time out if a check is left unfinished, and a link stops working once a check is complete. Contact the business that sent it and ask them to send a new one. Nothing has gone wrong, and you have not failed anything.

I cannot see the button to take the photo.

This is almost always caused by a very large text or display zoom setting on your phone, which pushes the button off the bottom of the screen. Set text size and display zoom back to the default, reopen your link, and change them back afterwards. The steps for iPhone and Android are in the troubleshooting section of this page.

Still stuck?

The business that sent your link is the best first contact. They can send a new link and explain why they need the check. For a problem with IdentityCheck itself, contact us.