Sometimes our Essential and Biometric ID checks can fail, even when your client’s documents are completely genuine. That’s because the checks rely on electronic systems and data sources, which aren’t always perfect. These checks are used as a guide to help you prioritise risk and further investigations.
Whether a check passes or fails, we always recommend reviewing the documents yourself and using your professional judgement before making a final call.
Here’s how the check is run:
Address is searched first. If it’s found in the dataset, ✅ tick.
Then it checks if the Name is linked to that address.
If name matches, it checks the Date of Birth.
All of these steps must succeed for the check to pass.
This means we couldn’t find a match in key databases like the Electoral Register, Landline, National Identity Register, or Credit Header.
Possible reasons:
The address is brand new and not yet in public records (e.g. is a new build)
There’s a typo in the address
📝 What to do: Ask the client for additional proof of address.
Possible reasons:
The person has no credit history and isn’t on the electoral roll
They entered an address where they have no active records (e.g. old address, just moved)
You searched for a nickname or short name (e.g. “Bob” instead of “Robert”)
There’s a typo in the name
📝 What to do: Collect both a valid ID document and a proof of address.
Usually, this happens when name and address also didn’t match, so the system never got to the DOB step.
Possible reason: A typo in the date of birth.
📝 What to do: Double-check the data. If still no match, ask for ID and proof of address.
Someone with that name and details may be listed as deceased.
📝 What to do: Look into it further. Collect more ID and verify carefully before continuing.
There could be a match with someone who shares your client’s name.
📝 What to do: Investigate thoroughly to confirm whether it’s your client or a different person.
Biometric checks use facial recognition and document analysis. Here’s what can go wrong:
Often caused by:
A blurry or unclear passport image
Lighting or glare affecting document visibility
📝 What to do: Review the report. If it’s a quality issue, ask the client to retake the photo or upload the passport manually.
If it fails again, refer to your internal policy for next steps.
Possible reasons:
The client’s appearance has changed
The photo quality is poor or obscured by lighting
📝 What to do: Use your judgement, either ask for a second ID or override the result if you’re confident in their identity.
If your client fails both the essential check and the biometric check, this should raise concerns. These checks use completely different data sources, so a double failure is rare and worth looking into carefully.
If you get confused or are certain, our team are always available to help! Just use the chat bubble in app and ask your question!
