Just as you might have to provide ID to open a bank account, as a regulated financial service we have a legal obligation to make sure that you are who you say you are.
One way we do this is through a process called verification. It usually only takes a few minutes.
In this article you can understand:
What do I need to do complete verification?
In order to protect BIPS and our customers from financial crime, we might ask you to provide proof of your identity by submitting an identity document (ID) and a selfie.
Occasionally, we might need some additional documents, such as proof of address or source of funds.
To understand what documents we need from you, we consider:
- How much money you're sending
- The country you're sending money to
- The country you're sending money from
When will I be asked to complete verification?
We'll ask you to do this as you go through the money transfer process. Your identity will normally be checked in real time, so you'll be able to send money immediately.
- Click Do this later if you want to come back and verify your account at another time.
We use a third-party verification provider called Veriff.
Taking a selfie as part of our verification process
We may ask you to take a selfie (a photo of your face) after you've submitted identity documents. We compare the image in your document with your selfie so that we can be sure you're a real person.
If you start on a computer, you can send yourself a secure link to continue on your phone and take a selfie.
When you take your picture:
- Keep a straight face
- Take your glasses off
- Make sure your face is inside the oval frame
- Take your selfie
When you're happy the picture's just right, submit your selfie.
Submitting documents for verification
When you send a photo of a document, please make sure that:
- The document is in date
- You're sending a photo of the real document. We can't accept scans, photocopies or photos of computer screens which show the document.
- The photo is in colour
- The photo is clear, not blurry or grainy
- The photo shows the full page and no information is covered (keep your fingers out of the way!)
- If your document's double-sided, please send pictures of both sides
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The document must be in English. Unfortunately, we can't support any other languages.
What documents do you accept as proof of identity?
We accept these documents as proof of identity:
- Passport (photo and signature pages)
- Photo driving license
- National identity card (if photo is attached)
What documents do you accept for proof of address?
Customers in the UK
If you are in the UK, we accept these documents as proof of address:
- A utility bill
- A bank statement
- A letter from local or national tax authority
- Self-assessment letters for income tax
- A council tax bill for the current tax year
- Entry in the electoral register
Customers in France
If you are in France, we accept these documents as proof of address:
- A utility bill
- A bank statement
- A letter from local or national tax authority.
- A letter from a solicitor confirming the completion of a recent house purchase