Facial biometric and document verification checks (FaceMatch) can sometimes fail due to specific issues. In such cases, clients have the choice to either manually approve or reset and resend the check to the individual, depending on their assessment. Below are common failure scenarios, reasons they occur, and advice for addressing them effectively.
1. Face Comparison Fail
Why It Might Fail:
The ID photo is outdated, and the individual’s appearance has significantly changed (e.g., taken when under 30, and several years have passed).
The ID or photo section of the ID is faded, blurry, or poor quality.
Advice for Clients:
If the individual’s appearance has changed due to aging, confirm through a secondary ID.
If the differences are minor and satisfactory based on your review, manually approve the check.
For faded or poor-quality ID photos, reset and resend the check and request an updated ID if possible.
2. Face Liveness Fail (Passive Liveness Check)
Why It Might Fail:
The face is too close to or too far from the camera, leading to poor framing or focus.
Bright lights or backlighting obscure the face.
The system detects that the face may not have been physically present (e.g., a photo or video was used).
Advice for Clients:
Play the liveness video (if available). If you are satisfied that a real person was physically present, manually approve the check.
For framing or lighting issues, reset and resend the check and instruct the individual to:
Keep their face centered and at the correct distance from the camera.
Avoid bright backlighting and use a well-lit environment.
3. Document Liveness Review
Why It Might Fail:
The ID document is not physically present during verification (e.g., captured off a screen or phone).
Advice for Clients:
Review the original document photo. If it is clear the ID was not physically present, reset and resend the check with instructions to provide a photo of the physical ID.
If you are confident the ID was physically present based on your review, manually approve the check.
4. Document Not Expired Review
Why It Might Fail:
The system cannot determine the expiration date because the ID is damaged, blurred, or poorly captured.
The ID is expired.
Advice for Clients:
If the ID is expired, request a new, valid ID.
If the system fails due to poor image quality, reset and resend the check to obtain a clearer or alternative ID.
If you confirm the ID is not expired, manually approve the check.
5. Document Not Printed
Why It Might Fail:
The system detects that the ID photo has been printed on a piece of paper rather than being an original government-issued document.
Printed copies of IDs are not valid for verification, as they do not confirm the authenticity of a physical, government-issued ID.
Advice for Clients:
Reset and resend the check, instructing the individual to submit the original, physical government-issued ID instead of a printed copy.
If the document is not a printout and was incorrectly flagged, manually approve the check after reviewing the original submission.
Important Note: This failure specifically identifies when an ID photo has been printed on paper rather than being a legitimate, physical ID document. This is different from document liveness checks, which detect entirely digital copies (e.g., screenshots or on-screen captures).
6. ID Quality Too Poor to OCR
Why It Might Fail:
The quality of the ID photo is too poor to accurately OCR (optical character recognition) the data.
Advice for Clients:
If you can confirm the ID details manually (e.g., via a copy of the ID), manually approve the check.
Reset and resend the check and instruct the individual to retake a clear photo of their ID in good lighting.
7. Document Accepted Fail
Why It Might Fail:
The ID provided is not a recognized or accepted government-issued photo ID.
The corners of the ID were not captured.
Advice for Clients:
Reset and resend the check and request the individual to provide an accepted government-issued ID.
If you can confirm the document’s validity, manually approve the check.
General Recommendations
Review and Decide:
Always assess the flagged check carefully. You have the option to manually approve or reset and resend the check to the individual. This decision should be based on your comfort with the evidence provided.
Use Supporting Tools:
Play liveness videos or review original document photos to confirm the presence of real individuals or authentic documents.
Document Approvals:
When manually approving a check, add notes to document your decision, including reasons and supporting details. For example:
"Face liveness failed due to poor lighting, but liveness video confirms presence of a real individual."