FAQs

How does identity verification work?

The Foundation works with Stripe to conduct identity verification online.

Stripe helps the Foundation’s licensing entity - Finscale ApS which must confirm your identity before allowing a member access to the Trust Entitlements by conducting the following checks:

1. Captures images of the front and back of your government-issued photo ID and reviews it to ensure the document is authentic using an automated identity verification technology that looks for patterns to help determine if an ID document is real or fake. This process is like a bank teller checking your ID document to confirm that it’s real.

2. Capture photos of your face and review them to confirm that the photo ID belongs to you, using identity verification technology that uses distinctive physiological characteristics of your face (known as biometric identifiers) to match the photos of your face with the photo on the ID document. This process is similar to a bank teller confirming that the photo on your ID document is you based on your appearance – but it’s a higher-tech and more accurate way to identify you as a unique person.

3. Collects your name, date of birth, and government ID number, and validates that it’s real by checking this information against a global set of databases to confirm that it exists.

Additional information

Open Bank services use Stripe for identity verification and other payment settlement services.

Stripe asks for your consent before collecting and using your biometric information. The third-party data processor only uses your verification data following the permissions you grant before starting the verification process.

The Foundation collects identifying information about you and the devices that connect to its services, including third-party service providers which include the use of cookies. Stripe uses this information to operate and improve the services it provides to us, including fraud detection, authentication, and analytics. Learn more about how Stripe handles and stores your data.

What are the best practices for successful verification?

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. Make sure that the ID document hasn’t expired.

• A device with a camera – use a mobile device if possible. Cameras on mobile devices typically take higher-quality photos than a webcam.

The quality of the images you capture 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 should 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 Foundation(through its data processor entity - Finscale ApS) and Stripe( a third-party data processor of the Foundation, data collector) have access to the information that you submit through the verification flow. The Foundation relies on third-party services 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.

Additional information