Experian has launched Identity Connect, a new solution designed to help organisations verify customer identities in line with UK regulatory standards while reducing friction in the customer journey. The solution combines biometric verification, document checks, and fraud intelligence through a single API.
Combining verification methods and regulatory compliance
Identity Connect brings together digital and traditional identification methods with Experian's fraud prevention technology and bureau data. The company said it is the only solution to combine these elements within a single integration point. The launch responds to growing consumer use of digital identity verification: according to Experian, 44% of people in the UK have already verified their identity digitally, with 75% citing speed and ease as key benefits.
Organisations adopting digital verification face regulatory requirements and the operational challenge of integrating multiple verification methods without adding friction for customers. Identity Connect is designed to help organisations demonstrate compliance with UK frameworks, including the government's Good Practice Guide 45 (GPG45) and certification against the Digital Verification Services (DVS) Trust Framework. Experian said it is the only credit reference agency to have achieved DVS certification, which allows certified providers to support mandated use cases such as Right to Work, Right to Rent, and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. HM Treasury and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology have recommended that anti-money laundering organisations consider using certified DVS providers as part of their identity verification processes.
Platform capabilities
Identity Connect uses Experian's bureau data to support verification decisions in cases where a single verification method is insufficient to confirm identity. Additional features include document capture and validation, selfie and liveness checks, bureau activity assessment, politically exposed person (PEP) and mortality screening, and checks against the National Hunter fraud database.
Planned developments
Experian said future updates to Identity Connect will include the option to verify identity using Open Banking data, expanding the range of verification routes available to organisations and their customers. The company said its longer-term aim is to move toward a fully digital identity verification process that removes the need for physical documents.
A company official said identity verification functions as an entry point for most digital interactions, and that Identity Connect is intended to allow organisations to verify customers and meet regulatory obligations without adding friction for genuine customers. The official added that planned additions, including consumer-led digital identity and Open Banking integration, are intended to give organisations more verification options through a single integration.
