Skip to content
Help Center

Document issues

I only have a temporary ID

How to verify when your ID is a temporary or interim document, including paper IDs and what the business may accept.

1 min read

On this page

This guide is for individuals going through a Persona-powered identity verification flow. While we’ve included helpful tips, the verification was set up by the business, service, or organization that asked you to verify. They use Persona as a tool, and they ultimately decide what’s required and can assist with your specific situation, if you’re having trouble.

What a temporary ID is

A temporary or interim ID is a short-lived document issued while you wait for your real card. Some are paper notices, others are printed cards. Whether it works depends on the verification flow and the business.

Try it if the flow allows

Select the temporary document if the flow lists it as a type. Photograph it so the whole document is visible, and keep the issue and expiry dates readable. If the flow does not offer that type, it will not accept the document no matter how well it is photographed.

Ask about alternatives

If you cannot verify with the temporary ID, the business you are verifying with is the one to ask. They can tell you whether a paper document works (see can I use a paper ID?) or whether you need to wait for your real ID.

Who can help

The business that asked you to verify

They set up the verification, see the result, and decide what happens next, so they are the ones who can help with your result, what they need from you, or another try. Look for their help or contact page in the app, site, or email where your verification started.

Need to reach Persona instead?

Persona provides the verification tool for the business that asked you to verify, but it cannot approve, re-run, or override their decision. For any problem with your verification, including a page that will not load or a button that does nothing, we recommend contacting the app or service you are trying to access, which is named in the verification flow.

If you would still like to reach Persona, you can contact Persona support.

Contact Persona support Contact Persona support