Customers signing up for mobile or internet services at Telstra stores nationwide can now use ConnectID to verify their identity using their bank, giving them a fast way to confirm who they are with built-in privacy protections.
The rollout highlights growing adoption of digital identity solutions that aim to help reduce the need for customers to repeatedly share physical identity documents.
“Verifying your identity often means sharing copies of passports or driver licenses, which means your personal information can end up being stored in more places than it needs to be, as well as being inconvenient, particularly in-store,” said Rick Iversen, Head of ConnectID.
“ConnectID allows people to confirm key details using organisations that already know who they are, such as their bank, without repeatedly sharing sensitive documents.”
Identity checks are required when signing up for mobile services to help ensure accounts are opened in the correct name and to meet regulatory requirements. By re-using information already verified by a trusted organisation, ConnectID helps protect against stolen or fraudulent forms of identity being used, via a secure, familiar customer channel like a banking app.
“We’re always looking for ways to help make identity verification simpler and more seamless for customers, particularly when in store,” said James Wu, Head of Identity & Fraud at Telstra.
Using trusted, bank-verified credentials through ConnectID helps streamline the sign-up experience and helps us better protect customers from fraud and scams,” adds Wu.
Developed by Australian Payments Plus, which powers brands like eftpos, BPAY, Osko, PayID, PayTo, and the NPP, ConnectID is part of an industry-led effort to help make digital interactions secure while minimising data collection. The solution draws on the same secure, regulated infrastructure Australians already use to manage their money every day.
As the network provider, ConnectID does not see or store the identity data, it simply acts as a secure verification bridge between the two parties.
ConnectID is already live with CommBank, NAB, ANZ and Westpac, and supports a range of everyday use cases that require verified identity checks, from joining a library to applying for rental properties and confirming eligibility for age-restricted purchases.
How it works
When a customer signs up for a mobile or internet plan at a Telstra store, they can choose to verify their identity using ConnectID.
They are prompted to confirm their identity through an organisation that already holds verified information about them, such as their bank.
With the customer’s consent, that organisation securely confirms basic identity details – such as name and date of birth – directly to Telstra, and without sharing any document information or bank account details.
The process allows identity checks to be completed digitally within seconds, without customers needing to present or copy physical identity documents.