Address verification what, why and how does it work?
Did you know that you can add address verification as an option to our online verification services? But how can address verification support your customer onboarding and protect you from fraud? We’ve created this overview of the service to help you find out more about what it means, why you might need it and how it could help your organisation:
What is electronic Address Verification?
Address verification is the process of digitally proving that the address which your customer, user or applicant gives you exists and that they can be linked to that address by checking against trusted data sources such as electoral roll and credit reference records. This can be done by asking for a copy of a document such as a driving licence, bank statement or utility bill and entering the address into our validation service or by allowing your candidate to enter the details directly during their application process.
Why should you ask for proof of address?
Verifying not only the identity of your customer, user or employee but also confirming their address adds an additional level of security to your verification and onboarding process. Lots of organisations ask for proof of address when a customer is opening a new account, particularly in financial sectors. According to the 5th Anti-Money Laundering Directive, it is in fact a requirement for organisations in regulated sectors to hold a verified photo ID and ask for a proof of address when carrying out Customer Due Diligence (CDD).
Employers making digital DBS checks also need to check an applicants’ address and thanks to digital verification, they can now do so with the applicant needing to show a copy of a utility bill, bank statement or other evidence of proof of address.
What are the benefits of using address verification?
- Increased confidence and security
By combining identity document checks with address verification checks, not only can you validate an identity document to assess that it’s genuine, but also verify that the details given by the holder match their residential address. This gives you increased confidence in the identity of your applicants or customers. - Additional deterrent
When your organisation advertises the use of identity and address verification, this can act as a powerful deterrent for anyone considering presenting a fake identity or hiding their identity behind a false address. - Streamline onboarding
Capture and verify key information on your users, customers or applicants from anywhere at the point of on-boarding and save time and money in the long run.
If you’d like to find out more about our address verification service and how it could add additional security to your on-boarding process, please get in touch or
If you liked that, you might like this..
Identity checks for DBS – Digital identity validation vs face-to-face identity checks
Tony Machin
March 12, 2024
As a certified IDSP, we’re asked lots of questions by employers about what the choice between Digital / remote and face-to-face identity checks really means within the DBS application process. In this blog, we explore 3 of the key differences between the 2 validation methods.
Automated KYC verification: ease your regulatory burden
Tony Machin
July 5, 2021
In 2020, HMRC issued a record fine of nearly £24 million to a money service business called MT Global for breaching money laundering rules. One of the offences committed was failing to conduct ‘fundamental’ due diligence which involves verifying a customer’s identity and, where appropriate, their line of business.
Sign up to receive updates
Receive notifications from TrustID direct to your inbox. Simply fill out your email address in the form below.
Want to find out more?
We’d be really happy to chat through your requirements and offer advice on the best service for your business.
Tel: 0118 466 0822 or email us.
Request a callback