Route takes seriously our responsibilities as your partner, and that includes helping to manage your costs and protect your inventory. Screening every claim for potential fraud is just one of the ways we fulfill these responsibilities every day. 

We currently deploy various measures to help us detect and deter fraud, with phone verification and identity verification as two important pieces of the customer claims process. 

In this article, you can learn more about identity verification and how the process works for your customers.

How is Route handling ID verification?
Route is partnering with Persona, a trusted third-party vendor used by companies such as Etsy, LinkedIn, and OpenAI. Persona’s process is seamless, quick, and easy, and privacy and security are a core part of their brand. Read more about their privacy policies here. 

What does the process look like?
All customers must verify their identity the first time they file a claim. On all subsequent claims, for any item purchased from any brand or retailer, they will only be required to verify their phone number. Please note, however, that a customer will be asked to verify their identity each time they use a unique email address to file a claim. 

The process itself takes approximately one to two minutes within our claims filing flow. First, customers will be asked to upload a photo of their government-issued ID, and then to photograph their face to ensure a match. (See below to preview a few of the steps in the ID verification process.)

Does this make it harder for customers to file a claim?
The claim filing process with Route remains fast and easy. Identity verification requires just a few additional steps and an extra minute or two. And your customer only has to do it once. The next time they file a claim with Route using the same email address, they will not be required to undergo the process again.

Overall, the goal of ID verification is to speed up the claims process, by allowing more claims to be automatically approved and resolved. That means even better experiences for your customers down the line.

What if my customers are worried about sharing their personal information with Route? 
Route does not store customers’ government IDs or biometric information. Select Route employees will only be able to view this sensitive information via Persona’s high-security dashboard, when completing fraud checks, as necessary.

What kind of government IDs are accepted?
Accepted forms of government ID include: Drivers License, national ID, municipal ID, passport, passport card, permanent resident card, travel document, visa, and work permit.

What if my customer doesn’t have a government-issued ID?
Please note that our claims filing process requires one-time identity verification with a valid government-issued ID. A customer who does not have an accepted ID will be unable to file a claim.