KYC identity verification for Canadian businesses

Know-your-customer (KYC) starts with a simple question: is this person who they say they are? For many businesses the answer begins with a government photo ID and a check that the person holding it is really there. This guide explains what that identity step looks like with ShieldID and what to keep a record of.

What the identity step of KYC covers

KYC programs usually have more parts than identity alone, such as ongoing monitoring and decisions about risk. ShieldID covers the identity step: it reads a government photo ID, matches the live face of the person to the photo, and checks that a real, present person completed it. What your business does with the result is your decision.

• Document check: the ID is read, including the barcode on the back where there is one, and checked for consistency.
• Face match: the live face is compared with the photo on the ID.
• Liveness: a short challenge shows that a person, not a photo or a screen, is taking part.
• Twelve per-field verdicts: each result comes with the evidence behind it, so a reviewer can see why.

How it runs for the person being verified

You send a link. The person opens it on their own phone, photographs their ID, and takes a short live selfie. The result reaches your account and can be delivered to your own systems by a signed webhook. Sandbox sessions let you try the whole flow with test documents before it touches a real customer.

What to keep on file

ID images and selfies are deleted automatically seven days after upload by default, while the verification result stays. Every view and export is entered in the Activity Ledger, an append-only record that can be added to but not edited. Your own retention window can be set per account.

What this guide does not decide

Whether a given identification method satisfies the rules that apply to your business is a question for your own counsel and compliance officer. ShieldID does not hold a certification that says its checks are approved by a regulator, and nothing here is legal advice.