ID.me is committed to enhancing user experience and security. By offering diverse verification pathways including self-service, video chat, in-person verification, and a pre-verified “digital fast lane,” ID.me has increased the number of people who are able to verify their identity and gain access to digital services while reducing friction. In the public sector, ID.me follows the Department of Commerce standards for authentication, which are stronger than typical private-sector verification processes.
The ID.me shared service approach to authentication empowers users who verify their identity at any organization that uses ID.me to rapidly prove their identity to a subsequent agency simply by logging in. Our equity data shows that alternative identity verification options like video chat closes about 75% of the digital divide created by data brokers. While these pathways increase verification pass rates for underserved communities, our shared services approach locks in gains by moving the verification event with the ID.me login. This “two-step” approach permanently removes friction and protects access gains.
Today, we are delighted to share that more than 50% of users who generate a new identity verification subscription are able to prove their identity simply by logging in. Crossing the 50% threshold represents a major milestone for better user experience in the public sector. While we are proud of the service levels we continue to deliver for first time identity verification, we are delighted that nearly 50 million Americans who verified with ID.me never have to go through identity verification again wherever ID.me is accepted.
Pre-verified users have pass rates north of 99.6% with very low fraud. As the ID.me shared service continues to grow, we project preverified users will drive 80% of identity verifications by the end of 2025. Our user experience metrics show how the ID.me user centric model is superior to solutions advanced by data brokers.
Verify Once Anywhere, Get Frictionless Access Everywhere
Having an IAL2 credential in an ID.me Digital Wallet makes future experiences streamlined and wait-free. “Pre-verified” users can access benefits and services at the same site where they originally verified or can decide to share their verified identity to other organizations that accept ID.me—without re-verifying. It’s like using the same key to unlock multiple doors, with consumers in control of where and how to share their credentials at all times.
The ID.me pre-verified rate—the share of users that arrive at a site having already completed verification—has grown 16% in 2023 and is now 51%! This means that the most prominent way a user proves their identity using ID.me is by simply logging in. Shifting from having to go through the verification process to logging in using a username, password, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) of choice translates to massive user experience gains: 99.6% pass rate and the ability to prove their identity to a new site in less than 60 seconds.
As we increase the population of users who no longer need to verify their identity, but instead are empowered to prove their identities by simply logging in, we also increase access and equity across our network. Users that would have struggled to verify their identity using legacy credit bureau and data broker methods verify once and can gain access to essential benefits and services beyond the original site where they verified.
Reducing Friction for New IAL2 Issuances
At the end of Q3 2023, 49% of users who used ID.me to access benefits or services added a new IAL2 credential to their ID.me Digital Wallet. Between April 1 and September 30, 2023, out of everyone that used ID.me to access a high-assurance (IAL2) site for the first time, ~88% completed with essentially no wait.
Our Video Chat option provides a pathway to a federated identity for users who are unable to verify through our self-serve pathway. Our emphasis on operational excellence has resulted in a consistent four minute median wait time to connect to an agent across Q2 and Q3. It is important to note that this time period includes peak traffic volume in some government agencies annual business cycle. Of the 12% of new users who verified using Video Chat, 95% waited 30 minutes or less.
Putting our users first
Removing friction from the identity verification process translates into gains for both our users and our customers. While users reap the benefits of recent improvements in user experience, security, and digital equity, customers appreciate the lower costs and increased access rates provided by our growing pre-verified network. ID.me is the only company that offers this benefit. We will continue to report on our high service levels as we work to ensure millions of users can access our services seamlessly.
