Choosing The Right Identity Verification Method- API Vs. Manual Comparison

Identity verification is an automated or manual technique of comparing the accuracy of a person's proclaimed identity with the supporting documents they hold. The technique has existed for decades, helping organizations point out bad actors and stop their activities at the initial stages. It is one technique your company should leverage to deter attempts by thieves to steal money or data.

Authenticating an identity can be approached from multiple angles. You can ask your workers to verify a user's government-issued ID. A business can leverage ID authentication software to ascertain the similarity score of a user's ID documents with existing databases. It can also involve sending a selfie and ID online for remote verification. Manual and automatic ID authentications have their known advantages and disadvantages.

What is API?

API is software that sits in between two apps, facilitating smooth communication. Identity verification API is mandatory software in online transactions that fosters efficient extracting and sharing of data within and across organizations. These programs are everywhere around you, from the Internet of Things apps and financial transactions to online mobile apps.

Today's API complies with REST and HTTP standards, making them easily accessible, developer-friendly, and self-described. They are popular in online business settings for verifying identities and preventing crimes.

Application programming interfaces integrate optical character recognition and machine learning. These technologies facilitate the process of authenticating an identity by checking the machine-readable features of a government-issued document. They can examine your ID in seconds, confirming if the image, barcode, birthday, and expiry dates have a 100% similarity score with the government databases. They can also compare the photo on these documents with your real-time selfie.

What is it Used For

Organizations need this technology to ensure a user's document has not expired and meets the minimum age threshold acceptable in the verification workflow. API system identification is more accurate and faster because you can tell a person's true identity within minutes. Many software solutions allow setting up varied identity verification workflows across different locations, enabling your company to stay compliant across many cities.

The best example is a service delivery company offering rental cars in different cities. They could set the age to the driver-compliant age in every city without needing an extra headcount. They could configure the API software application to work per the city's age limits. This way, you can easily catch fake IDs and streamline the customer onboarding process.

What is Manual Identity Verification

Manual checking of identification documents is a long-established route organizations have taken to verify identities. It is a labor-intensive task but even more costly when not properly implemented. Manual identity verification requires a team of employees to cross-check documents presented by customers to see if they are accurate.

Your workers must be extra careful as the chances of human errors are high with this method of checking user identification. You could end up onboarding the wrong customers. They may damage your company's reputation or hack into your financial and data resources.

Which is Better? Manual or Automatic Verification?

The ball is always on your court. You have the final word on which identity-proofing method works best for your business. The following are the pros and cons of each to help you choose better.

Automatic Identity-proofing Pros and Cons

It is only logical to wonder why people are shifting to automatic Identity-proofing. These pros and cons will give you a better idea of why automatic Identity-proofing has become prevalent.

Pros

•          Confirms a person's identity in minutes
•          AI-powered identity-proofing reduces errors by a significant percentage
•          Delivers top-tier efficiency and less wait time
•         Transactions happen online, keeping customer data unaltered
•          Fewer fraud and data breach cases

Cons

•          It costs more to set the API systems
•          You have to invest in employee training for improved results

Manual Identity-proofing Pros and Cons

Manually checking customer documents to confirm their identity has its strengths and weaknesses.

Pros

•          Requires minimal setup costs
•          Fewer software and system installations
•          It is up and running in hours

Cons

•          Longer wait times
•          Higher risk of fraud and theft
•          Higher susceptibility to errors
•           Higher operation costs

API Software Selection Tips to Know

When selecting an API software for your business, think outside the box. You have to look for software with top-tier accuracy levels. It should identify anomalies with a 99% accuracy level.

Look for an easy-to-setup software that can effectively authenticate all the needed documents. Your company is ever-growing, and the software should be scalable to meet your company's growth needs.

Wrapping Up

Businesses operating online are the leading targets of cybercriminals. It is easier to get caught up in the web of money laundering, data breaches, and identity theft when you fail to confirm the identity of those you transact with. For this reason, ensure every customer you onboard has positive intentions. You can do that by erecting structures that detect thieves and fraudulent activities from the onset. You can quickly confirm your clients with API. Also, you can manually evaluate the customer's identification documents. Decide on the best method of identity verification, depending on the sensitivity of documents, the accuracy required, and how fast you expect results.