One of the signup steps is an identity check. We use Stripe Identity — the same trusted service used by banks and large platforms — to confirm that the person on your ID document is the person signing up. It replaces the older "upload an ID and wait" pattern with a faster, more accurate check that usually completes in a couple of minutes.
What you'll be asked to do
When you reach the identity step, a Stripe-branded window opens inside the page. Inside it you'll:
- Take a photo of the photo page of your passport with your phone camera. A passport is the only document type the check accepts — driving licences and national ID cards won't pass.
- Take a short selfie (you'll be guided through it; usually a couple of head turns to confirm you're a real person, not a static photo).
Stripe processes the check automatically. You don't wait for a human to look at it — most results land within a minute or two.
Tips for passing first time
- Use your phone, not your laptop. Phone cameras are higher resolution than most laptop webcams and give Stripe a much better chance of accepting the photos.
- Good lighting. Daylight near a window beats indoor lighting. Avoid backlight (a bright window behind you).
- Hold the document flat. All four corners visible, no fingers covering text, no glare from the camera flash.
- Look at the camera for the selfie. Remove sunglasses or hats. The check needs to see your face clearly.
What happens after it passes
The check completes inside Stripe and the result is sent to us automatically. Once it's marked verified, the signup form progresses to the next step. Occasionally a verification needs a quick manual look from our team — if so, the identity step will say so, and there's nothing more you need to do. You don't need to upload your passport anywhere else — Stripe's check covers identity and document liveness in one.
What if I'm rejected?
You can retry straight away — there's no cooldown. Common causes are a blurry document photo, a partial document (missing corner), or a selfie that didn't show your face clearly. If you've tried two or three times without success, email [email protected] and we can manually review with a backup process.
Why Stripe?
Stripe Identity is used across the UK financial industry and built for this exact use case. Your document photos go directly to Stripe — Zuno never sees them, we only receive the pass/fail result. This is more private than the old "upload to us, our team reviews" pattern, and faster.