As part of your loan application, we’ll ask you to take a quick selfie and record a short video. We know this can feel a bit unusual, so here’s what we collect, why we need it, and how we keep your data safe.
1. Why do you ask for a selfie and a short video?
We ask for a selfie and a short 3-second video to:
- Confirm you’re the person applying for the loan and
- Meet our legal obligations and comply with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations, as an FCA authorised lender
This helps us prevent fraud, meet regulatory requirements, and most importantly, protect your identity.
2. What exactly do you collect?
We collect:
- One selfie photo taken using your webcam
- A short 3-second liveness video, where we ask you to move your head (for example, left or right)
Together, these help us confirm that you’re a real person and that your appearance matches your identity document.
3. How does the verification work?
We compare your selfie and video with the photo in your passport. To do this, we use an external provider, Amazon Rekognition, which helps us check:
- Whether your selfie matches your passport photo
- A few frames from your video to confirm it’s really you
If everything matches clearly, your identity check is completed and you can move forward with your application.
If the result isn’t clear, one of our team members may review it manually. In some cases, we may carry out a few additional checks to make sure everything is accurate.
4. How long does verification take?
Once you’ve uploaded your selfie and video, we aim to complete the checks and share the result within 7 business days.
If enhanced checks are needed, this may take a little longer. We’ll keep things moving and let you know if there are any delays.
5. How is my data protected?
Your data is:
- Stored securely using industry-standard security measures
- Used only for identity verification and fraud prevention
We take data protection seriously. For full details on how we handle your information and your rights, you can read our Privacy Policy.
6. How long do you keep my selfie and video?
We keep your selfie and liveness video only for as long as reasonably necessary to complete identity verification.
In some cases, we may need to retain this data for longer to meet legal or regulatory requirements, handle a complaint, or protect our legal rights. We never keep it longer than we need to.
7. Is my selfie or video shared with anyone else?
We share your selfie and liveness data with Amazon Rekognition so they can help us verify your identity.
We may also share this data with other parties listed in our Privacy Policy, but only when it’s necessary and where we have a lawful reason to do so.
8. What happens if my verification fails?
Verification can fail if:
- Your face doesn’t clearly match your identity document
- The image or video quality is too low
- Your face can’t be detected
If this happens, we may review your details manually or ask you to try again. If we’re unable to verify your identity, you won’t be able to continue with your loan application.
9. Can I request deletion of my data?
Yes. You can request deletion of your data in line with applicable laws and our data retention policies.
Please refer to our Privacy Policy for your rights and how to contact us if you have a request.