FAQs: Identity Verification in BoldSign

BoldSign’s ID verification feature enhances the security of electronic signatures by authenticating signers through government-issued photo IDs and biometric selfies, ensuring only verified individuals can access and sign documents. Powered by Stripe Identity, this helps prevent fraud, comply with regulations like KYC and AML, and maintain the integrity of your signing process.

Below, we address frequently asked questions to help you understand and use this feature effectively.

1. Why is identity verification important in eSignatures?
   Identity verification is crucial for preventing fraud in electronic signatures by confirming the signer’s authenticity using government-issued photo IDs and biometric selfies before they can access the document, thereby reducing risks from unauthorized or impersonated signatures.
2. How does BoldSign verify a signer’s identity?
   BoldSign verifies a signer’s identity through checks against government-issued photo IDs and biometric selfie matching, powered by Stripe Identity, with configurable tolerance levels for name matching to accommodate variations like middle names or suffixes while ensuring accurate authentication.
3. Can I control how often a signer is verified?
   Yes, you can configure verification frequency to occur every time the signer views the document, once per document, or until the signing process is fully complete, providing flexibility based on your security needs.
4. What happens if a signer fails verification?
   If verification fails, access to the document is restricted, and you can set limits on the number of attempts allowed before blocking further access. The sender can also review the uploaded documents manually and decide to verify or reject them; if verified by the sender, the signer will then be allowed to sign the document.
5. Can multiple signers be required to verify their identity?
   Yes, BoldSign allows you to enable identity verification independently for multiple signers on the same document.
6. Which recipient roles support identity verification?
   Identity verification applies to recipients with the roles of Signer and Document Reviewer. It is not supported for In-person signers.
7. How do I set up identity verification for a signer?
   In the recipient section, after adding the recipient’s name and contact details (email, phone number, or WhatsApp phone number), expand the Settings menu in to the recipient section, enable Authentication, and select Identity Verification as the method.
8. Which BoldSign plans include ID verification?
   ID verification is available on the Business, Premium, and Enterprise API plans. It is not available on Free or Growth plans.
9. Is identity verification available via API?
   Yes, BoldSign’s API fully supports the identity verification process, allowing seamless integration into custom workflows.
10. Is online identity verification safe?
    Online identity verification is secure in BoldSign, with all data encrypted during transmission and processing, used solely for authentication purposes under strict privacy protocols, and compliant with global standards.
11. What is name matching tolerance in ID verification?
    Name matching tolerance has three levels—Strict, Moderate, and Lenient. Strict allows minimal variations, Moderate permits differences in middle names, prefixes, and suffixes, and Lenient accommodates minor spelling differences. Strict is selected by default.
12. How are identity verifications charged in BoldSign?
    Each successful identity verification costs $2 and is charged per verification. Re-authentication (due to frequency settings or retries) incurs an additional $2 charge. You can control costs by limiting retry attempts.
13. What are the supported documents for identity verification?
    Supported documents include Passport, Driver’s License, and National ID Card (when enabled). BoldSign does not support extraction of document fields in Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, Tamil, or Thai scripts.
14. How many methods can I use to verify my identity?
    Signers can start verification by scanning a QR code, receiving the link via SMS or email, copying the link, or continuing directly on their current device.
15. What is the number of verification attempts allowed?
    Signers get a maximum of 10 attempts (default is 3). This limit can be adjusted between 1 and 10. Senders can reset failed attempts or manually approve/reject uploads.
16. What are the allowed countries for ID verification?
    By default, all supported issuing countries are accepted. You can restrict this to specific countries in your Business Profile settings.
17. Can I limit ID verification to a certain national ID?
    No, selecting or limiting to a specific national ID variant under the National ID Card category is not supported; the system accepts a broad range of government-issued national identity cards.
18. What are the key highlights in the identity verification audit trail?
    The audit trail records the verification method, timestamps, outcome, authentication details, and user activity. In the outcome section, it provides confirmation of successful verification, ensuring the signer’s identity was authenticated before proceeding. This comprehensive record delivers transparency, compliance evidence, and a legally verifiable trail of the identity verification process.
19. What is the “Require selfie check” option?
    This option uses advanced facial recognition to compare the ID photo with a live selfie. It is enabled by default but can be disabled.
20. What is the “Require live document capture” option?
    This option requires signers to take a live photo of their ID using their camera, ensuring the document is genuine and not a photocopy or screenshot. It is enabled by default but can be turned off if needed.

For additional help, reach out to BoldSign support at support@boldsign.com