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Government ID Verification: Front and back of IDs

What required sides are

An ID has a front and a back, and a Government ID Verification can require either one or both. The setting is per ID type, not per template, so you can ask for both sides of a driver’s license while asking only for the front of a passport.

At least one side always has to be required. Some ID types offer more than two options: a driver’s license, for example, includes a barcode checkbox alongside front and back.

Where to find it in the Dashboard

Open Inquiries > Templates and select a template that uses Government ID Verification. In the Flow Editor, use the left panel to head to Verifications, select the Government ID Verification template, then open Countries and ID types. For a template used alongside a Transaction, a Workflow, or the API, open Verifications > Templates and select the template instead.

Required sides can be set three ways from that table: on one country at a time, on several countries at once through the floating action bar, or across every country from the Required sides tab of the Bulk ID Configuration Panel.

Why the back side matters

The back of an ID often carries a barcode, and collecting it can help Persona extract information from the document. In some countries you must collect the back side before information can be extracted at all, so this is not purely a conversion decision. Check the international coverage map for the country specific requirement before you drop a side.

The back of an ID and its barcode are not the same input, and you cannot require both at once. See Government ID Verification: Requiring Barcode vs Back of ID if you are deciding between them.

When to reach for it

Reach for it when extraction is failing for a country whose documents carry their data on the back, or when you are asking for a side you do not need and want the shorter flow. Each additional side is another step for the end user.

Bulk edits in the overrides modal are applied as an override, so any side left unselected is removed from the ID types you selected. For the full procedure, see Government ID Verification: Requiring front and/or back of IDs.

Plans Explained

Required sides by plan

Startup ProgramEssential PlanGrowth PlanEnterprise Plan
Required sidesAvailableAvailableAvailableAvailable

Learn more about pricing and plans.

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