Question 1

How to verify ID in South Africa?

Accepted Answer

Verifying ID in South Africa is simple with VerifyNow. Enter the 13-digit ID number and optionally upload a photo of the ID document. Our system instantly verifies against official records with photo matching capability, and checks for fraud signals. You can verify IDs through our web dashboard, REST API, or white-label solution. All verifications are POPIA and FICA compliant with results typically returned in under 10 seconds.

Question 2

How long does ID verification take in South Africa?

Accepted Answer

ID verification in South Africa is fast with VerifyNow. Standard ID checks against Home Affairs typically complete in under 10 seconds. This includes verification of the ID number, name matching, photo comparison, and fraud risk assessment. Results are delivered instantly through our dashboard or API, allowing you to verify customers in real-time during onboarding.

Question 3

What types of verification do you offer?

Accepted Answer

We offer Home Affairs SA ID verification with photo matching, driver's license authentication, AML/PEP/sanctions screening across 190+ countries, consumer and phone tracing (addresses, contacts, employment history), CIPC company and director verification, bank account verification, face match and liveness detection, vehicle VIN lookup, number plate checks across 57 countries, and document authentication with fraud risk signals.

Question 4

How does pricing work?

Accepted Answer

We use a simple pay-as-you-go credit system at R2.99 per credit at Starter tier. Buy credits upfront and use them for any verification service. No monthly subscriptions, no lock-in contracts. Each service has its own credit cost; for example, Home Affairs ID verification with photo is 10 credits. Volume discounts are available for high-usage customers. Visit our pricing page for current rates per service.

Question 5

Is my data secure and compliant?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. We're fully POPIA aligned and FICA compliant with enterprise-grade encryption. Our infrastructure is hosted on AWS and protected by Cloudflare with HTTPS encryption throughout. All data is processed and stored in South Africa to meet local data residency requirements. We maintain complete audit trails and 7-year data retention as required by law.

Question 6

What documents can I verify in South Africa?

Accepted Answer

In South Africa, you can verify South African ID Book (green bar-coded), Smart ID Card, Driver's License Card, and Passport. All documents are verified against official government records for ID verification with photo matching. We also support international documents from 190+ countries for passport, ID card, driver's license, and residence permit verification.

Question 7

How does Home Affairs photo matching work?

Accepted Answer

When you verify an SA ID number, photo matching is performed against official records. You can then compare this official government photo with the person presenting the ID or with an uploaded selfie. This biometric matching helps confirm the person is who they claim to be, reducing identity fraud.

Question 8

What information does ID verification return?

Accepted Answer

SA ID verification returns: Full name, Date of birth, Gender, Citizenship status, Country of birth, ID Book/Smart ID status, Marital status, Deceased status, and the official photo on record. This comprehensive data helps you verify identity and detect fraud.

Question 9

Can I verify foreign nationals in South Africa?

Accepted Answer

Yes. For foreign nationals, you can verify their passport or national ID documents from 190+ countries using our document verification service. We also offer AML/PEP/Sanctions screening that works globally. For foreign nationals with SA residence permits, we can verify those documents as well.

Question 10

What is liveness detection?

Accepted Answer

Liveness detection confirms that a real person is present during verification, not a photo or video of someone else. The user performs random actions (turn head, blink, smile) while their camera captures the movements. This prevents fraudsters from using stolen photos or deepfakes to impersonate someone.

Question 11

How does face matching work?

Accepted Answer

Face matching compares two photos to determine if they show the same person. We compare the selfie against the official photo on record or ID document photo. Our AI returns a confidence score and match result, helping you detect impostors and verify the person matches their documents.

Question 12

Can I verify a South African bank account?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Bank account verification cross-checks an SA bank account against the holder's ID number and name to confirm it is valid, active, and belongs to the named person. The service works across all major South African banks and returns results in seconds. It is commonly used for payroll onboarding, vendor payments, refunds, and reducing payment fraud.

Question 13

What does bank account verification return?

Accepted Answer

Bank account verification returns: whether the account number is valid, whether the account is open and active, whether the ID number matches the account holder, whether the account holder name matches, the account type (current/savings/transmission), and the branch code. It does not return balances, transaction history, or statements.

Question 14

Can I verify companies and directors?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Our company verification uses CIPC registry data (Companies and Intellectual Property Commission). You can verify company registration status, retrieve director and shareholder information, check company history, and confirm B-BBEE status. Ideal for vendor onboarding, due diligence, and KYB (Know Your Business) requirements.

Question 15

What is CIPC Company Match?

Accepted Answer

CIPC Company Match verifies a South African company's registration details against CIPC records. It returns: Company name, Registration number, Business status (active/deregistered), Company type, Registration date, and List of directors. Use the registration number for exact match or company name for search.

Question 16

What is CIPC Director Search?

Accepted Answer

CIPC Director Search finds all companies where an individual serves as a director using their SA ID number. It returns all current and historical directorships, company names, registration numbers, and whether each directorship is active or resigned. Useful for due diligence and conflict of interest checks.

Question 17

How does vehicle VIN lookup work?

Accepted Answer

Enter a 17-character Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to decode vehicle technical specifications. Returns vehicle specs only: Make and model, Year of manufacture, Engine size and type, Fuel type, Body style, and Country of origin. Important: This service provides vehicle specifications only - no ownership, personal, or driver information is included. Data is sourced from commercially available third-party datasets. For vehicle specs reference only - results should not be used or relied upon for insurance claims or insurance-related queries.

Question 18

How does number plate lookup work?

Accepted Answer

Number plate lookup retrieves vehicle technical specifications from a registration number. For South African plates and 57+ countries internationally, we return vehicle specs: make/model, VIN, year, engine details, and colour. Important: This service provides vehicle specifications only - no ownership, personal, finance, accident history, or driver information is included. Data is sourced from commercially available third-party datasets. VerifyNow makes no warranties regarding data accuracy. For vehicle specs reference only - results should not be used or relied upon for insurance claims or insurance-related queries.

Question 19

Does vehicle lookup show owner information?

Accepted Answer

No, vehicle lookup services (both number plate and VIN) provide vehicle technical specifications only. This includes make, model, year, engine details, colour, and VIN. The following information is NOT available: owner names or details, personal information, driver information, finance or loan status, accident history, stolen vehicle status, or ownership history. Data is sourced from commercially available third-party datasets for vehicle specification purposes only.

Question 20

What is consumer tracing used for?

Accepted Answer

Consumer tracing helps you locate individuals and verify their background by finding: Current and historical addresses (last 5), Phone numbers (last 5), Email addresses, Employment history (last 5 employers), and Deceased status. Commonly used by debt collectors, legal firms, HR departments for background screening, and property managers for tenant verification.

Question 21

What is employment history verification?

Accepted Answer

Employment verification confirms a candidate's work history including: Employer names, Job titles, Dates of employment, and Reasons for leaving. We use ITC records that contain employer information reported by companies. Ideal for HR departments and recruitment agencies doing pre-employment screening.

Question 22

What is phone/contact trace?

Accepted Answer

Phone trace (contact enquiry) is a reverse lookup service. Enter a phone number to find: Subscriber name, Associated ID number, Network provider, and Last known address. Useful for collections, skip tracing, and verifying contact information.

Question 23

What is AML/PEP screening?

Accepted Answer

AML (Anti-Money Laundering) and PEP (Politically Exposed Persons) screening checks individuals against global watchlists including: UN Sanctions lists, OFAC (US Treasury) sanctions, EU sanctions, FIC (SA Financial Intelligence Centre) lists, PEP databases, and Adverse media. This is required under FICA for accountable institutions to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing.

Question 24

Do you support international AML checks?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Our AML/PEP screening covers 190+ countries with comprehensive sanctions list coverage from UN, OFAC, EU, UK, and country-specific lists. Perfect for businesses operating across borders or onboarding foreign nationals. Results include match confidence scores and detailed hit information.

Question 25

What are my FICA compliance requirements?

Accepted Answer

Under FICA, accountable institutions must: Verify customer identity (CIV), Screen against sanctions and PEP lists, Conduct ongoing monitoring, Keep records for 5 years after relationship ends, and Report suspicious transactions. VerifyNow helps you meet all these requirements through our verification services and audit trails.

Question 26

What is POPIA and how do you comply?

Accepted Answer

POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act) is South Africa's data protection law. We comply through: Explicit consent collection before processing, Processing only necessary data, Secure storage with encryption, Access controls and audit trails, Data retention policies (7 years), and Data subject request handling. All our services are designed with POPIA compliance built-in.

Question 27

Do you have an API for integration?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We provide a comprehensive REST API with detailed documentation. Integrate verification directly into your onboarding flows, CRM, or back-office systems. Features include: RESTful endpoints for all services, JSON request/response format, API key authentication, Webhook support for async results, and Rate limiting with generous quotas.

Question 28

How do I get API access?

Accepted Answer

Sign up for a VerifyNow account, then navigate to Settings to generate your API key. You can test with sandbox mode (free) before going live. API documentation is available at /api-docs with code examples in multiple languages.

Question 29

What programming languages do you support?

Accepted Answer

Our REST API works with any programming language that can make HTTP requests. We provide code examples for: JavaScript/Node.js, Python, PHP, C#/.NET, Java, Ruby, and cURL. You can also use our API with no-code tools like Zapier and Make.

Question 30

Do you support webhooks?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Configure webhook URLs in your dashboard to receive real-time notifications when verifications complete. Webhooks are especially useful for long-running checks or batch processing. We send signed payloads with verification results directly to your server.

Question 31

What is white label?

Accepted Answer

White label lets you offer VerifyNow's verification services under your own brand. Your customers see your logo, colors, and domain - not VerifyNow. Perfect for: Verification resellers, HR software providers, Fintech platforms, and Compliance consultants who want to offer verification without building infrastructure.

Question 32

What can I customize with white label?

Accepted Answer

White label customization includes: Your company logo, Brand colors and styling, Custom domain (verify.yourcompany.com), Email templates with your branding, PDF report headers, and Customer-facing portal. You manage users and pricing while we handle the verification infrastructure.

Question 33

How do credits work?

Accepted Answer

Credits are our universal currency for verification services. At Starter tier, 1 credit = R2.99, and the per-credit rate drops at higher monthly volumes. Each service has its own credit cost, shown on the pricing page. Buy credit bundles upfront, and they're deducted as you use services. Credits never expire.

Question 34

Are there volume discounts?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We offer tiered pricing for high-volume customers. Contact our sales team for enterprise pricing if you expect to run 1,000+ verifications per month. We also offer custom packages for specific use cases like tenant screening or employee background checks.

Question 35

How do I buy credits?

Accepted Answer

Log into your dashboard and click "Buy Credits". We accept credit/debit cards and EFT payments through PayFast. Credits are added instantly for card payments. For EFT, credits are added once payment clears (usually same day). You'll receive a tax invoice for all purchases.

Question 36

Do credits expire?

Accepted Answer

No, credits never expire. Once purchased, they remain in your account until used. This makes VerifyNow ideal for businesses with variable verification volumes - buy credits when you need them without worrying about monthly minimums or expiration.

Question 37

How do I get started?

Accepted Answer

Getting started is easy: 1) Register for a free account at verifynow.co.za/register, 2) Verify your email, 3) Purchase credits, 4) Start verifying! You can run your first ID verification within minutes. No contracts or minimum commitments required.

Question 38

Do I need to sign a contract?

Accepted Answer

No contracts required for standard accounts. Sign up, buy credits, and start verifying immediately. For enterprise customers with custom requirements, we offer service agreements that include SLAs, dedicated support, and custom pricing.

Question 39

What industries do you serve?

Accepted Answer

We serve all industries that need identity verification: Financial services (banks, lenders, insurance), Property (estate agents, property managers), Recruitment (HR, staffing agencies), Motor dealers (vehicle sales, rentals), Legal firms (due diligence, collections), and Global platforms (fintechs, marketplaces).

Question 40

What support do you offer?

Accepted Answer

We offer email support at hello@verifynow.co.za with 24-48 hour response times on business days. Enterprise customers receive priority support with faster SLAs. Our Help Center includes comprehensive documentation, API guides, and troubleshooting articles.

Question 41

Can I try before I buy?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Register for a free account to explore the dashboard and documentation. While we don't offer free verifications (they have real costs), our credit system means you can start small - buy just a few credits to test the services before committing to larger volumes.

Knowledge Base

Most Popular Questions

How to verify ID in South Africa?

How long does ID verification take in South Africa?

What types of verification do you offer?

How does pricing work?

Is my data secure and compliant?

All Questions

How to verify ID in South Africa?

How long does ID verification take in South Africa?

What types of verification do you offer?

How does pricing work?

Is my data secure and compliant?

What documents can I verify in South Africa?

How does Home Affairs photo matching work?

What information does ID verification return?

Can I verify foreign nationals in South Africa?

What is liveness detection?

How does face matching work?

Can I verify a South African bank account?

What does bank account verification return?

Can I verify companies and directors?

What is CIPC Company Match?

What is CIPC Director Search?

How does vehicle VIN lookup work?

How does number plate lookup work?

Does vehicle lookup show owner information?

What is AML/PEP screening?

Do you support international AML checks?

What are my FICA compliance requirements?

What is POPIA and how do you comply?

Do you have an API for integration?

How do I get API access?

What programming languages do you support?

Do you support webhooks?

What is white label?

What can I customize with white label?

How do credits work?

Are there volume discounts?

How do I buy credits?

Do credits expire?

How do I get started?

Do I need to sign a contract?

What industries do you serve?

What support do you offer?

Can I try before I buy?

Ready to start verifying?