IDV

What IDV means

IDV stands for identity verification. It answers one question at a moment such as opening an account, taking a payout or buying something age-restricted: is this the real person whose identity is being claimed? The term is common in fintech, marketplaces and compliance teams, and IDV software is the product that runs the checks.

The three checks in most IDV

Document check. Reads a government ID, such as a passport or driver's license, and looks for signs it was forged or altered.

Liveness. Confirms a live person is in front of the camera, not a photo, mask, replay or deepfake. See liveness detection.

Face match. Compares the selfie with the photo on the ID, so a genuine ID can't be used by someone else. See biometric verification.

Some IDV also accepts digital IDs, such as a mobile driver's license in a phone wallet, and some compares the person's details with records held elsewhere.

IDV, KYC, age verification and authentication

KYC (know your customer) is the wider process regulated businesses follow. It uses IDV to establish who a customer is, then adds checks such as sanctions screening and ongoing monitoring. IDV is one step of KYC, not the whole of it.

Age verification only needs to establish that someone is old enough. IDV is one way to do it; other methods estimate or confirm age without a full identity check. See age verification.

Authentication confirms a returning user with a password, passkey or code. IDV usually happens once, when someone first claims an identity.

How IDV is tested

Independent tests usually look at one check at a time. Liveness is lab-tested for presentation attacks under ISO/IEC 30107-3, often by iBeta: see iBeta PAD levels. The US Department of Homeland Security's Remote Identity Validation Rally tests whole commercial systems end to end. When comparing IDV providers, ask which check was tested, by whom, and in which configuration.

Other meanings of IDV

Outside identity checks, IDV means other things. In Indian motor insurance it stands for insured declared value, the most an insurer pays if a vehicle is stolen or written off. It is also a common short name for the video game Identity V.