Our experts talking about eIDV

Cracking the nuts

at Walnut

What they say

A few words from our clients.

Onze experts aan het woord 

Noten kraken

bij Walnut

Dit zeggen ze

Onze klanten aan het woord

Nuestros expertos hablan sobre eIDV

Pensando en voz

alta en Walnut

Lo que dicen de nosotros

Algunas palabras de nuestros clientes

Want to know what we do at Walnut Digital? Get some free tips on how top optimize your onboarding process ánd a glance in what the future of digital identification can bring? Listen to the interview with one of the founders of Walnut (Dutch). 


[**Spotify**](https://open.spotify.com/episode/6lyFJgjUcC2M8XI4UCchsF?si=-rGVFF9cQN2-JjpIiUlsIw)

[**Apple podcast**](https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/114-hoe-banken-zeker-weten-dat-jij-het-bent-lisette/id1603251532?i=1000648163718)

[**Google podcast** ](https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL1Byb2R1Y3Rvd25lclBvZGNhc3QvZmVlZC54bWw/episode/UHJvZHVjdG93bmVyUG9kY2FzdC5wb2RiZWFuLmNvbS9mZmEwMTJmNS0zMTYzLTMyN2QtYjQxNy00ZWU4ZWU4MmQ0ZTA?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwio37yPpuSEAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ)

Want to know what we do at Walnut Digital? Get some free tips on how to optimize your onboarding ánd a glance in what the future of digital identification can bring? Then listen to the podcast interview with one of the founders of Walnut (Dutch). 

Podcast digital onboarding

Our favorite project of every year: The Market Scan! Also in 2024 we did extensive research into the digital identification processes of some of the more known banks of Europe. In total 21 banks are tested, around half of which neo-banks.

We specifically looked at the customer experience of the digital onboarding processes and the quality of the (data)checks performed in the front-end. And ranked solutions accordingly.

**Some interesting findings:**

Part 2

_**5. App vs. Web**_

ID&V can opt for a **native app solution or a web-based process**.
The advantage of the app is more extensive functionalities and control. A disadvantage can be loss of conversion and higher maintenance costs. 
A web process can run on a mobile or desktop. IDV requires a good camera, as a rule webcam quality is much lower than the mobile camera.

Not every bank wants to oblige its customers to download an app, but things are increasingly moving in that direction. This choice also depends on how **digital savvy the user base** is.

It is striking that some parties still stick to a desktop implementation despite inferior camera and physical interaction.

_**6. Live Feedback**_


Live feedback means that a customer receives feedback on errors **while going through** the IDV process. For example, because some data is not clearly readable, the ID doc is not clearly visible, or several people can be seen in the selfie image.
The major advantage of this feedback in the front-end is that the customer **can correct immediately**. This prevents a necessary extra attempt after rejection, resulting in loss of conversion.

While some parties already provide **very specific and concrete front-end feedback**, most tested banks suffice with generic error messages. Or worse, there is **no check at all ** in the front end that allows a customer to submit random input.
Good examples of feedback on documents are the implementations at Revolut and Bnext.
There is room for improvement in all tested parties in terms of live feedback on _selfie_.

_**7. EYODF**_

**Eat Your Own Dog Food.**
Many digital processes are designed based on functionalities. If it works technically, we consider it good. The reality is often different in practice, when you go through a journey **through the eyes of a customer**.

All tested IDV processes had **inconveniences in the journey** to some extent. Non-intuitive steps or user-unfriendly screens.
E.g. Hype's chat button over the CTA, the physical difficulty at Santander in holding a document in front of a webcam and still looking at the screen, or taking off your glasses at Bunq. But smaller things such as buttons under the fold, etc. are also common.


_**8. Less is more**_

Digital identification is the front door to attracting new customers. Naturally, as a bank you must be sure that the data is correct and the customer is the customer. But that does not mean that questions should be asked twice or unnecessarily.

Several processes still have steps that appear to be **duplicated or unnecessary**. Consider asking the issuing country, while this becomes obvious when taking the photo.
And what does a tilted photo bring extra, if all the data was already clearly visible in the first photo? Or saying your name when a selfie & liveness check has already established that it is you?

Which bank has the best and most solid digital identification journey in place in 2024? We researched 21 european banks and ranked them on customer experience and quality of the most common front-end checks.

Market Scan Digital Identification 2024 - Part 2

>>_Our favorite project of every year: The Market Scan! 
Also in 2024 we did extensive research into the digital identification processes of some of the more known banks of Europe. In total 21 banks are tested, around half of which neo-banks._

We specifically looked at the customer experience of the digital onboarding processes and the quality of the (data)checks performed in the front-end. And ranked solutions accordingly.

**Some interesting findings:**

Part 1

_**1. BSN**_

Dutch banks are required to record a correct BSN for their customers for DGS and tax filing (renseignering)
On Dutch passports issued after August 2021 (now about 25%), the BSN is only found on the back of the photo page. For the other 75% of Dutch passports in circulation it is also stated on the front photo page (MRZ).

Only 1 tested Dutch party dynamically requests the BSN.
Other tested NL parties either never or always ask for the backside. Regardless of issue date.

_**2. NFC**_

With NFC technology, the phone can read data directly from the chip of the ID document. 
- advantage of NFC over OCR is that document fraud is very difficult and data quality is almost 100%. 
- disadvantage is that not everyone is familiar or comfortable with a chip in their ID doc and it is an extra step in the process. Plus, NFC can only be used in native apps, not web.


It is striking that the use of NFC is certainly not yet commonplace and has hardly increased in the past few years. Of the banks tested, only a few large banks in the Netherlands have implemented NFC as a primary route. In Europe, almost all documents have a chip, and several banks already onboard new customers in the app. But even (neo)banks that do IDV via app do not make the jump to NFC.

_**3. International differences**_

The European rules on ID&V are high levels the same. However, **local customs and standards vary considerably** from country to country. While everything can be done digitally in most places, in Germany a video call still has to take place, and some places specifically ask for pre-set type of videos.

There is a striking difference in IDV maturity between countries. The **Netherlands is most mature** in digital journeys across the board, while **Spain shows some best-in-class examples**.
Elsewhere in Europe the view is mized with subtopimal desktop implementations, uploading documents or even a visit to the office is still presented as a common option. Yet learnings can also be found in every tested journey.

_**4. eWallets**_

The eWallet is a personal, digital identity vault that contains the customer's data. In a new-to-bank process, the customer gives the bank permission to view or retrieve certain data from his wallet. By **2026 all member states** will have an operational wallet and banks will also be obliged to accept this as an ID method.

Wallet solutions are already widely used in **Scandinavia** (BankID, MitID) and **Belgium** (Itsme). In Scandinavia so dominantly that alternative identification methods are no longer offered by most banks.
Although Wallet-like solutions also exist in other countries, they are not yet used for the reviewed primary customer acquisition processes.


**Are you looking for a new ID&V solution or want to optimize your existing one? Don't know where to start? Our market scan provides clear starting points that will help you enter into these conversations well prepared. Feel free to drop us a line.**


Which bank has the best and most solid digital identification journey in place in 2024? We researched 21 european banks and ranked them on customer experience and quality of the most common front-end checks. 

Market Scan Digital Identification 2024 - Part 1

Going through a digital onboarding and identification process, somewhere in the journey there is always a check that ensures there's a real, living person on the other side. Various solutions in the market handle this differently—some opt for a passive check, while others employ an active one.

A **passive check** involves software automatically recognizing and verifying a real person, often by detecting subtle movements in the individual's face. 
On the other hand, an **active check** requires the person undergoing the process to perform specific actions, like smiling or blinking their eyes.

In our observations, solutions incorporating a passive liveness check tend to deliver a superior customer experience. The journey is automated, seamless, and efficient. Consequently, this smoother process contributes to higher conversion rates and better customer experience.

Interested in enhancing the conversion rates of your digital onboarding process? 
Take a closer look at the liveness step - it _could be the key_ to significant improvements.

Going through a digital onboarding and identification process, somewhere in the journey there is always a check that ensures there's a real, living person on the other side. Various solutions in the market handle this differently—some opt for a passive check, while others employ an active one.

Understanding Liveness Checks

**Recognize this?**
_´Uff, our digital onboarding process for new clients is not where we want it to be.
It´s our core business, we should be able to do this._

_Yet somehow… ´_




**In the following situations getting external help is the way to go:**

**1. Specific expertise is needed to guide the changes.**

Digital onboarding and online identification are content heavy topics, usually built over years of experience. 
You need expert knowledge now to fast forward the changes in your onboarding process. 

>> _Guides your team in the right direction until they are ready to take over_

**2. By now it´s such a hot potatoe, that nobody dares touch it.**

Upon implementation, it became clear that the work was only just beginning. But now you don’t have a logical spot within the organisation to take on the next steps. 

>> _Breaks the inertia with temporary extra fire power_


**3. Overview of full funnel is missing.**

Some clients succesfully onboard and identify themselves. Some don´t. Everything in between is a mystery.

>>_Generates fact based insights and provides concrete starting points for improvements_

**4. The relationship with my provider needs some TLC.**

A good relationship is essential to achieve mutual successes. Both sides need a sparring partner that can rise to their level. A temporary expert will boost the collaboration. 

>> _Provides the glue for a healthy productive relationship_ 




Walnut Digital provides expertise and implementation power on all things related to Digital Onboarding. But when do you call Walnut, or other firms like us? What are the most common situations in which external views or actions can be most beneficial? We have listed them here.

Walnut Digital provides expertise and implementation power on all things Digital Onboarding. But when do you call Walnut, or other firms like us? What are the most common situations in which external views or actions can be most beneficial? We have listed them here.

When to get help from an Onboarding Expert

The most recent EBA guidelines on the use of remote customer onboarding already hinted at it; **randomness**. Not mandatory yet, but we have a feeling it will be sooner rather than later. 

First, what does it mean? Randomness is a process that guarantees that the customer is carrying out the identification process at this exact moment. That it´s not a pre-recorded session of any kind. This is done by adding a unique element to each identity check. An element that changes every time and cannot be predicted.
Not all eIDV solutions offer randomness. And the ones that do, differ very much.

Take for example iProov. Their solution flashes a random sequence of colors that reflect on the customers face. The colors and order are always different and therefore unique. It does not require any customer effort. Although some customers find the flashing disco-lights effect a bit strange, iProov is the only one in the market that make it so easy for the customer. 
Or look at Onfido, they ask customers to read a random number sequence out loud. Somewhat uncomfortable (we can tell from experience) if you are in a semi public space. 

More randomness features will be coming to market. We follow the developments closely. Feel free to drop a line for more information, or if you want to share a great example of randomness that really should be featured in our market scan or blogs. 


Randomness is a process that guarantees that the customer is carrying out the identification process at this exact moment. That it´s not a pre-recorded session of any kind. This is done by adding a unique element to each identity check.

Randomness in digital ID

>Online identification has quickly eased into our lives. But while technical development gets much attention, its user experience often needs to catch up. “An underestimated risk, especially for banks,” according to Lisette Pronk and Neeltje de Windt, specialists in this field and founders of Walnut Digital. How’s that? Significant changes are coming, demanding a lot from customers’ trust - and their conversion willingness.

## From paper to eIDV
It seems only yesterday that we took our passports to the bank to open an account. Now you can become a customer online, all by yourself, on a website or an app. Even authentication is virtual.
Banks often use external party software to establish your identity, technically 'tied' to the bank's systems. This is called eIDV. No small feat because what happens at the back end is highly complex - especially at banks, where the IT infrastructure is rarely lean and mean. This a positive development, as customers have more control. Calm, not so much, it appears.
Maybe you have experienced it yourself: at the very moment where you need to identify yourself as the customer-to-be, you ‘take a detour’ away from the bank flow - something you shouldn't notice but which is brutally apparent. The look and feel changes, response times differ, and you’re asked questions you didn't expect. Unnerving. This is about your personal data, your identity, and your finances. Did you go through with it? Or did you drop out?

![image 22.jpg](https://walnut-cms.onrender.com/uploads/image_22_8b5e84d02a.jpg)

## Blind spot
At many banks, the efforts to get this process live came with compromises. Once the process is up and running and compliant, the development team are relieved. The job is 'finished'. Voilà: a blind spot where a smooth customer experience should be.
How often does the digital identification customer journey fall short? Neeltje and Lisette always ask their customers internally who have gone through the onboarding process themselves. Just 20% - on average - know what their customers actually experience. A risk not unlike an iceberg with just the tip showing. What’s below the surface? Customers applying the same amount of trust in their online onboarding experience to the bank's digital safe. A bizarre idea? Far from it. Among us humans, this tendency is as unconscious as it is common. Is that a bad thing? Not if it's being worked on. And that happens alarmingly little; Lisette and Neeltje have noticed.

## E-Wallet
Online identification development is in the fast lane: e-Wallet is coming. E-what? A virtual 'safe' developed at the European level as an app on your phone. It contains all your personal information to be able to identify yourself online. With an e-Wallet, we can soon decide for ourselves to whom we disclose which data and when. Secure, simple, fast.
The arrival of e-Wallet is still facing quite a few challenges. Firstly, a European e-Wallet has yet to exist technically. Some parties are pioneering, for example, using a third-party app combined with DigiD. But which of us is eager to confirm financial decisions through an unknown, slightly odd flow? It just feels too intimate, too much, and too soon. In short, the market is still in its infancy.
In the meantime, much work is being done on a legal framework in a European context. As a virtual safe, e-Wallet must be safe to use anytime, anywhere. As e-Wallet will touch the core of our privacy, it poses banks with an enormous challenge: building plenty of confidence among users. After all, can you see yourself OK’ing your mortgage contract the same way you tap to pay for your coffee to go?

## Building trust
Getting used to 'The New Identification' will take time. If institutions such as banks want to win and retain customers – after all, even as an existing customer, you sometimes need to identify yourself – the user experience of virtual authentication must be made on point. That process starts with optimising current e-IDV flows – including all related communication.
And sooner than later. Because e-IDV is also rapidly evolving. Recently, new European guidelines hinted at the mandatory introduction of randomness. This feature entails an extra check on your identity using a random question or request. To users, this means an odd extra step in the already bewildering e-IDV process. Randomness offers more security but demands even more of the user’s trust.

## Market Scan
The how, where and when are still unknown, but e-Wallet will soon be here to stay. It’ll be a game changer that will boost or break customer trust and conversion. Trust that takes lots of time and effort to grow yet can evaporate with just one error.
Fortunately, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Walnut Digital has developed a Market Scan for organisations to investigate the customer friendliness of their current e-IDV solution. The scan even places features in the context of recent developments: technical, legal and, above all: in the field of user experience. A one-stop shop of best practices to strategise for eIDV success today – and e-Wallet adoption tomorrow.

Would you like to know more?
Please contact Lisette Pronk or Neeltje de Windt.

## Who is Walnut Digital?
Making digital improvements happen - from idea to implementation. Lisette Pronk and Neeltje de Windt take it all on without so much as batting an eye. After learning the ropes at large corporates, they joined forces and founded Walnut Digital. Their expertise: current developments in e-identification – combining technical, legal, and commercial. Their core business: optimising digital identification at banks and insurers.

Optimizing digital identification at banks and insurers is the core business of Walnut Digital. They provide expertise in e-identification developments, focusing on technical, legal, and commercial aspects to ensure a frictionless customer experience.

>Online identification has quickly eased into our lives. But while technical development gets much attention, its user experience often needs to catch up. “An underestimated risk, especially for banks,” according to Lisette Pronk and Neeltje de Windt, specialists in this field and founders of Walnut Digital. How’s that? Significant changes are coming, demanding a lot from customers’ trust - and their conversion willingness.

## From paper to eIDV
It seems only yesterday that we took our passports to the bank to open an account. Now you can become a customer online, all by yourself, on a website or an app. Even authentication is virtual.
Banks often use external party software to establish your identity, technically 'tied' to the bank's systems. This is called eIDV. No small feat because what happens at the back end is highly complex - especially at banks, where the IT infrastructure is rarely lean and mean. This a positive development, as customers have more control. Calm, not so much, it appears.
Maybe you have experienced it yourself: at the very moment where you need to identify yourself as the customer-to-be, you ‘take a detour’ away from the bank flow - something you shouldn't notice but which is brutally apparent. The look and feel changes, response times differ, and you’re asked questions you didn't expect. Unnerving. This is about your personal data, your identity, and your finances. Did you go through with it? Or did you drop out?

![image 22.jpg](https://walnut-cms.onrender.com/uploads/image_22_8b5e84d02a.jpg)

## Blind spot
At many banks, the efforts to get this process live came with compromises. Once the process is up and running and compliant, the development team are relieved. The job is 'finished'. Voilà: a blind spot where a smooth customer experience should be.
How often does the digital identification customer journey fall short? Neeltje and Lisette always ask their customers internally who have gone through the onboarding process themselves. Just 20% - on average - know what their customers actually experience. A risk not unlike an iceberg with just the tip showing. What’s below the surface? Customers applying the same amount of trust in their online onboarding experience to the bank's digital safe. A bizarre idea? Far from it. Among us humans, this tendency is as unconscious as it is common. Is that a bad thing? Not if it's being worked on. And that happens alarmingly little; Lisette and Neeltje have noticed.

## E-Wallet
Online identification development is in the fast lane: e-Wallet is coming. E-what? A virtual 'safe' developed at the European level as an app on your phone. It contains all your personal information to be able to identify yourself online. With an e-Wallet, we can soon decide for ourselves to whom we disclose which data and when. Secure, simple, fast.
The arrival of e-Wallet is still facing quite a few challenges. Firstly, a European e-Wallet has yet to exist technically. Some parties are pioneering, for example, using a third-party app combined with DigiD. But which of us is eager to confirm financial decisions through an unknown, slightly odd flow? It just feels too intimate, too much, and too soon. In short, the market is still in its infancy.
In the meantime, much work is being done on a legal framework in a European context. As a virtual safe, e-Wallet must be safe to use anytime, anywhere. As e-Wallet will touch the core of our privacy, it poses banks with an enormous challenge: building plenty of confidence among users. After all, can you see yourself OK’ing your mortgage contract the same way you tap to pay for your coffee to go?

## Building trust
Getting used to 'The New Identification' will take time. If institutions such as banks want to win and retain customers – after all, even as an existing customer, you sometimes need to identify yourself – the user experience of virtual authentication must be made on point. That process starts with optimising current e-IDV flows – including all related communication.
And sooner than later. Because e-IDV is also rapidly evolving. Recently, new European guidelines hinted at the mandatory introduction of randomness. This feature entails an extra check on your identity using a random question or request. To users, this means an odd extra step in the already bewildering e-IDV process. Randomness offers more security but demands even more of the user’s trust.

## Market Scan
The how, where and when are still unknown, but e-Wallet will soon be here to stay. It’ll be a game changer that will boost or break customer trust and conversion. Trust that takes lots of time and effort to grow yet can evaporate with just one error.
Fortunately, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Walnut Digital has developed a Market Scan for organisations to investigate the customer friendliness of their current e-IDV solution. The scan even places features in the context of recent developments: technical, legal and, above all: in the field of user experience. A one-stop shop of best practices to strategise for eIDV success today – and e-Wallet adoption tomorrow.

Would you like to know more?
Please contact Lisette Pronk or Neeltje de Windt.

## Who is Walnut Digital?
Making digital improvements happen - from idea to implementation - Lisette Pronk and Neeltje de Windt take it all on without so much as batting an eye. After learning the ropes at large corporates, they joined forces and founded Walnut Digital. Their expertise: current developments in e-identification – technical, legal, and social. Their core business: optimising digital identification at banks and insurers.


Optimizing digital identification at banks and insurers is the core business of Walnut Digital. They provide expertise in e-identification developments, focusing on technical, legal, and social aspects to ensure a frictionless customer experience.

Who's Afraid of Digital Identification?

>Online identification has quickly eased into our lives. But while technical development gets much attention, its user experience often needs to catch up. “An underestimated risk, especially for banks,” according to Lisette Pronk and Neeltje de Windt, specialists in this field and founders of Walnut Digital. How’s that? Significant changes are coming, demanding a lot from customers’ trust - and their conversion willingness.

## From paper to eIDV
It seems only yesterday that we took our passports to the bank to open an account. Now you can become a customer online, all by yourself, on a website or an app. Even authentication is virtual.
Banks often use external party software to establish your identity, technically 'tied' to the bank's systems. This is called eIDV. No small feat because what happens at the back end is highly complex - especially at banks, where the IT infrastructure is rarely lean and mean. This a positive development, as customers have more control. Calm, not so much, it appears.
Maybe you have experienced it yourself: at the very moment where you need to identify yourself as the customer-to-be, you ‘take a detour’ away from the bank flow - something you shouldn't notice but which is brutally apparent. The look and feel changes, response times differ, and you’re asked questions you didn't expect. Unnerving. This is about your personal data, your identity, and your finances. Did you go through with it? Or did you drop out?

![image 22.jpg](https://walnut-cms.onrender.com/uploads/image_22_8b5e84d02a.jpg)

## Blind spot
At many banks, the efforts to get this process live came with compromises. Once the process is up and running and compliant, the development team are relieved. The job is 'finished'. Voilà: a blind spot where a smooth customer experience should be.
How often does the digital identification customer journey fall short? Neeltje and Lisette always ask their customers internally who have gone through the onboarding process themselves. Just 20% - on average - know what their customers actually experience. A risk not unlike an iceberg with just the tip showing. What’s below the surface? Customers applying the same amount of trust in their online onboarding experience to the bank's digital safe. A bizarre idea? Far from it. Among us humans, this tendency is as unconscious as it is common. Is that a bad thing? Not if it's being worked on. And that happens alarmingly little; Lisette and Neeltje have noticed.

## E-Wallet
Online identification development is in the fast lane: e-Wallet is coming. E-what? A virtual 'safe' developed at the European level as an app on your phone. It contains all your personal information to be able to identify yourself online. With an e-Wallet, we can soon decide for ourselves to whom we disclose which data and when. Secure, simple, fast.
The arrival of e-Wallet is still facing quite a few challenges. Firstly, a European e-Wallet has yet to exist technically. Some parties are pioneering, for example, using a third-party app combined with DigiD. But which of us is eager to confirm financial decisions through an unknown, slightly odd flow? It just feels too intimate, too much, and too soon. In short, the market is still in its infancy.
In the meantime, much work is being done on a legal framework in a European context. As a virtual safe, e-Wallet must be safe to use anytime, anywhere. As e-Wallet will touch the core of our privacy, it poses banks with an enormous challenge: building plenty of confidence among users. After all, can you see yourself OK’ing your mortgage contract the same way you tap to pay for your coffee to go?

## Building trust
Getting used to 'The New Identification' will take time. If institutions such as banks want to win and retain customers – after all, even as an existing customer, you sometimes need to identify yourself – the user experience of virtual authentication must be made on point. That process starts with optimising current e-IDV flows – including all related communication.
And sooner than later. Because e-IDV is also rapidly evolving. Recently, new European guidelines hinted at the mandatory introduction of randomness. This feature entails an extra check on your identity using a random question or request. To users, this means an odd extra step in the already bewildering e-IDV process. Randomness offers more security but demands even more of the user’s trust.

## Market Scan
The how, where and when are still unknown, but e-Wallet will soon be here to stay. It’ll be a game changer that will boost or break customer trust and conversion. Trust that takes lots of time and effort to grow yet can evaporate with just one error.
Fortunately, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Walnut Digital has developed a Market Scan for organisations to investigate the customer friendliness of their current e-IDV solution. The scan even places features in the context of recent developments: technical, legal and, above all: in the field of user experience. A one-stop shop of best practices to strategise for eIDV success today – and e-Wallet adoption tomorrow.

Would you like to know more?
Please contact Lisette Pronk or Neeltje de Windt.


## Who is Walnut Digital?
Making digital improvements happen - from idea to implementation - Lisette Pronk and Neeltje de Windt take it all on without so much as batting an eye. After learning the ropes at large corporates, they joined forces and founded Walnut Digital. Their expertise: current developments in e-identification – technical, legal, and social. Their core business: optimising digital identification at banks and insurers.
