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About User Verification

Build consistent verification flows that balance compliance and conversion.

Use User Verification to confirm users are genuine and assess risk before granting access to your products or services.

Combine identity checks, biometrics, database validation, screening, and other verification methods into workflows tailored to your markets and requirements, helping you reduce fraud, improve onboarding, and meet KYC, AML and other compliance obligations.

Sumsub offers an all-in-one verification platform featuring customizable solutions for

  • Identity verification
  • Address verification
  • Screening, risk and monitoring
  • Payment Verification
  • Reusable Identity
  • Configuration and automation
  • Results and operations

Benefits of Sumsub User Verification

Balance uncompromising compliance with a seamless, high-converting onboarding experience using Sumsub:

  • Instantly verify 14,000+ document types from 220+ countries and territories.
  • Handle routine compliance steps with smart automation, cutting manual review workloads by up to 94%.
  • Break down communication barriers with interfaces supported in 50+ languages.
  • Onboard legitimate applicants in around 20 seconds on average and achieve an average pass rate of 90% due to smooth user experience.

How Sumsub User Verification works

Step 1: Data collection

The applicant starts verification through an embedded web or mobile flow, or via a secure verification link.

Depending on the workflow, they may be asked to provide the following:

  • Identity information, such as their name, date of birth, and ID number.
  • An identity document, such as a passport, driver's license, or national ID card
    Biometric data, such as a selfie or liveness check.

Information can be entered by the applicant or extracted automatically from their identity document.

Step 2: Checks and decisioning

The collected data is processed using the checks and rules configured in your workflow.

These may include:

  • Liveness detection to identify deepfakes and impersonation attempts.
  • Document verification to check authenticity, validity, and security features.
  • Data cross-checks to identify mismatches between sources.
  • AML screening against sanctions, PEP, and adverse media databases.

The results are evaluated against your business rules. Cases requiring further investigation can be routed for manual review.

Step 3: Verification result

Once all required checks are complete, a final result is generated. You can view it in the dashboard or receive it through an API response or webhook.

User Verification use cases

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to verification. The right checks depend on your regulatory requirements, risk appetite, and the level of assurance needed for each user or action.

Sumsub lets you combine verification methods and build workflows that balance security, compliance, and user experience. Here are some common examples.

New user onboardingNon-Doc onboardingRe-verificationHigh-assurance verificationRegulated identity verification
Verify applicants using standard government-issued IDs, a selfie, and automated checks.Verify identity details such as name, date of birth, and address against trusted government, credit bureau, and utility databases, without requiring an identity document.Quickly reconfirm an existing user's identity when it matters—after inactivity, before high-risk actions, or as part of scheduled reviews, with minimal friction.Add greater assurance to high-risk accounts and transactions by combining document verification, liveness detection, and NFC chip checks.Meet strict regional requirements, including BaFin and SEPBLAC, with high-assurance video identification and legally binding electronic signatures.

Get started with User Verification

Getting started with Sumsub user verification is simple and doesn’t require any coding. All you need to do is set up your integration and configure the verification logic in the Dashboard.

  1. Choose WebSDK, MobileSDK, or API and initiate the integration.
  2. Configure at least one verification level to select the checks your applicants will pass.
  3. Add questionnaires to collect additional information.
  4. Set up the verification flow.
  5. Customize the look and feel of your applicant’s journey.
  6. Test your integration with premade document templates to ensure all steps are set up correctly and then go live.
  7. Review applicant profiles and act on verification results.
  8. Manage verification statuses, associated webhooks, and rejection labels.
  9. Analyze your product performance data and applicant activities.

To learn more about the key steps, refer to the articles below.

Set up your integration
Map out the ideal verification journey for your users with the KYC Settings Wizard. Enable standard compliance requirements, select supported countries, and apply default rules in minutes.
Configure verification flow
Create automated "if/then" pathways routing applicants through different verification steps based on their country of residence, risk score, age, or specific document outcomes.
Compare data from multiple sources
Create your internal blocklists, allowlists, and custom watchlists. Import, organize, and screen new applicants against these lists to instantly catch returning fraudsters or streamline onboarding for trusted users.
Categorize applicants based on custom parameters
Reduce address processing time to less than 1 min, regardless of the language or PoA document. You can also verify user addresses with databases and geolocation.
Handle verification results
Review individual or business applicant profiles, inspecting extracted document data, analyzing face match confidence scores, and making final approval or rejection decisions with confidence.
Leverage performance analytics
Turn verification data into actionable business intelligence: track pass rates, identify drop-off points in your onboarding funnel, measure processing times, and more.

Take our free User Verification course developed by industry experts.

Create custom user verification flows

Below is an overview of Sumsub’s key verification features and how they work to help you build an optimized, compliant workflow.

Identity verification

ID verification
Leverage AI-driven OCR to quickly extract document data and run layered authenticity checks to detect physical forgery, electronic editing, and digital tampering.
Database validation
Cross-check and match user credentials directly against trusted national databases and commercial registries for real-time validation.
Biometric verification
Combat spoofing with 3D liveness detection to ensure a real user is physically present, and automatically match their facial scan against their submitted ID photo.
NFC-based ID Verification
Read encrypted chip data directly from modern e-passports and biometric IDs to achieve a near-zero fraud rate with zero manual entry.
Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) Verification
Combine secure identity verification with the authentication of a legally-binding electronic signature in a single eIDAS-compliant flow.
Non-Doc Verification
Fast-track your customer journey by verifying identities in seconds without requiring users to photograph, scan, or upload physical ID documents.
Video Identification
Video Identification Deliver secure, high-assurance identity proofing by instantly connecting applicants with certified verification experts in a guided video call.
German eID Verification
Streamline German customer onboarding with a fully localized, BaFin-compliant electronic identity (eID) verification flow powered by secure NFC technology.
Real-time Identification Recording
Capture a continuous recording of the user's screen and camera during onboarding to secure an audit-ready visual trail that confirms zero third-party manipulation aligned to meet the SEPBLAC requirements.

Address verification

Document-based Proof of Address
Automatically extract, parse, and cross-reference residential addresses from uploaded proof-of-address documents, such as utility bills, bank statements, or tax files.
Non-Doc Address Verification
Use Perform automated backend validation of residential addresses against government-grade registries and commercial databases without requiring document uploads.
Proof of Address Through Geolocation
Use Leverage device- and browser-based geolocation mapping to instantly confirm a user’s physical presence at their declared address.

Reusable identity

Reusable KYC
Safely share verified data within the Sumsub ecosystem to instantly onboard applicants who have already completed identity checks on other network services.
Sumsub ID
A centralized digital identity profile, allowing users to securely store their document data and bypass repetitive upload processes during subsequent verifications.

Payment verification

Bank Account Verification
Utilize secure open-banking frameworks to instantly confirm bank account status and cross-match account holder details directly with applicant profiles.
Penny Drop Verification
Initiate a frictionless, database-free account ownership and status check by executing a temporary microtransaction.
Payment Method Check
Validate the ownership of cards, alternative payment methods, and crypto addresses to secure transaction processing and block stolen financial instruments.
TIN Validation
Verify the validity and format compliance of user-submitted TINs.

Screening and risk monitoring

AML Screening and Monitoring
Screen users against global watchlists, PEP records, and sanctions databases at signup, and maintain active, indefinite monitoring.
Applicant Risk Scoring
Calculate multi-factor risk scores by analyzing device fingerprints, user behavior, and setup metadata to instantly flag high-risk applicants for manual review..
Email and Phone Verification
Verify active ownership of contact details via OTPs while analyzing domain age, network carriers, and digital footprints to spot burner profiles and high-risk leads.
Age Estimation
Utilize AI-driven biometric analysis to estimate an applicant's age range during the liveness scan.
Periodic Verification
Automate recurring identity checks on your existing user base at scheduled intervals.
Ongoing Document Monitoring
Run daily, automated database scans to track document expiration dates, proactively flagging expiring IDs, visas, or licenses.
Device Intelligence
Capture and analyze deep hardware- and network-level signals to detect anomalous patterns.
Fastfail
Deploy a rapid pre-screening layer to instantly catch and reject blurred, cropped, or expired files, saving on downstream verification costs by requiring immediate retakes.

Updated 1 day ago

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