KYC Approval - Best Practices for Tier 1
This article outlines tips on how to provide your documents to have your account properly verified for Level 1.
Selfie
Here's how to take your selfie:
- Ensure you center your face within the capture area.
- Ensure you use a high-end camera.
- Hold steady before you take the selfie to avoid capturing during motion.
- Check the selfie before uploading; if possible, retake it until you get the right shot.
- Ensure the area is properly illuminated to avoid taking dark photos.
Type of Selfies that would not be accepted:
- Selfies that are too dark
- Selfie that is black and white
- Selfie that is cropped
- Selfie that is blurry
ID Document
To upload or capture your national ID under the required conditions, here are five key elements to taking a Machine Readable photo for KYC:
1. Cropping
In the ideal photo, the document makes up most of the image with a thin margin around it.
- ID Card
The entire card, including all edges, must be visible in the photo for the machine to easily detect the card.
- Passport
The photo page and the bottom of the document must be included in the photo. Do not include the top of the passport.
2. Resolution
- ID Card
For ID cards, minimum width of 1000 image dots (pixels) should be present across the width of the card.
- Passport
For passports, minimum width of 1450 dots (pixels) should be present across the width of the passport.
It is important to note that the ID card’s resolution matters. If the photo fits the specs, but the card is only in a small portion of the photo, the resolution is likely too small to read.
3. Lighting
The perfect photo is bright enough to see clearly and has little glare. If an image is too dark, the machines will not be able to read the text on the document.
Many documents have a shiny coating that can glare when the photo is too bright. When natural light is low, try to avoid using flash; instead, turn on a lamp or other form of indirect light.
4. Angle
The perfect photo is flat with limited tilt.
- ID Card
The card should be shot straight on. The image should not be tilted or rotated too much horizontally or vertically.
- Passport
The photo page of the passport should be as flat as possible.
5. Background
The perfect photo has a solid background in a different color from the card. If the background blends into the document or has a prominent pattern, it cannot be easy to recognize where the card is in the photo.
