Improve your completion rates

Overview. A smooth ID check is part of a good first impression, and the goal is simple: get each client through it quickly, without chasing. Getting someone to finish an ID check is not always easy. People are careful about sharing personal information, some do not know why it is needed, and some just get busy. A little setup makes most of the difference, and completion rates of 90% or higher are achievable.

The steps below start with the easiest and build up. Most firms get the biggest lift from the first three.

1. Make the first email yours

People want to know who is asking for their ID. Your clients know your firm, not IdentityCheck, so a request that arrives with our name and default wording can look unexpected.

Replace the default email in Custom Emails (see Branding and your logo for the steps). In your email:

• Use wording your clients will recognise. Keep it warm, clear and from your firm.
• Add your logo so it is obvious the request comes from you.
• Say why you need it. For example, your professional body or AML law requires you to verify every new client.
• Say how quick it is. Most people finish in a few minutes on their phone.
• Say to use a phone. If they open the email on a computer, the screen shows a QR code to scan with their phone's camera.
• Say what to have ready: their original photo ID. A photocopy, a scan or a photo of the ID on another screen will not pass.
• Show when the link expires, so they act on it.
• Add a contact. People follow through when they know who to call if they get stuck.

Here is a template to start from:

Subject: Please verify your identity for [Your firm]

Hello,

[Your professional body or the law] requires us to verify the identity of all new clients. We use IdentityCheck to do this securely online. It takes a few minutes and there is nothing to download.

Please complete the check on your phone. If you open this email on a computer, scan the QR code on screen with your phone's camera and carry on there.

1. Have your original photo ID ready, such as your passport or driver licence.
2. Open the link below and choose Confirm my identity.
3. Take a photo of your ID, then a photo of yourself, with your phone's camera.

Your link expires in 7 days. If you have any questions, contact [name] on [phone] or [email].

Thank you, [Your firm]

2. Set up your reminders

Clients miss emails, get busy or are away. Automated reminders cost nothing and chase for you, and they stop as soon as the client finishes. Set them up in Reminders, and see Reminders, reports and notifications for how they work.

• Use the same tone and branding as your first email.
• Say how many days are left before the link expires.
• Time the reminder to suit your clients: sooner if onboarding is time-critical, later if they usually need a few days.

Subject: Reminder: please verify your identity

Hello,

This is a reminder to complete your identity verification for [Your firm]. It takes a few minutes on your phone. If you open the link on a computer, scan the QR code on screen with your phone's camera to carry on there.

Your link expires in 3 days. If you have any questions, contact [name] on [phone] or [email].

Thank you, [Your firm]

3. Tell clients it is coming

Let clients know the ID check is on its way, on a call, in a meeting or in an earlier email. People complete a check they are expecting and understand. A request that arrives out of the blue is the one that gets ignored or reported as spam.

You can also point them to the step-by-step guide for the person being verified, How to complete your IdentityCheck, which covers what they will see, photo tips and quick fixes.

4. Resend the link when a client cannot find it

While a check is still active, you can send the link again through any channel your client uses: email, SMS, WhatsApp or a message in your client portal. Open the client's verification in the dashboard, copy the verification link, and paste it into your message. If the link has already expired, send a new check instead. Troubleshooting verification links covers the common cases.

5. Switch on SMS

If your emails land in spam, or your clients rarely check their inbox, send the link by SMS as well. SMS is switched on for your account on request and has a small cost per message; see the pricing page. Store mobile numbers with their country code, or tell us the default country to use, so each message reaches the right phone.

6. Check your client details

A wrong email address, an old mobile number or a typo in a name is one of the most common reasons a check never gets finished. Check the contact details before you send, especially when they come from an older record in your practice system.

7. Use an intake form

An intake form collects your client's details, creates the client record and takes them straight into the ID check in the same session. There is no separate email to miss, so fewer checks stall. Choose one of the ready-made forms or ask us to build one for you. There is a setup cost; see the pricing page.

8. Advanced options

These are available on request. Contact support or your account manager.

• Extra reminders. Add a final nudge before the link expires, such as "Last day to verify your identity". Send us the wording and we will set it up.
• Longer links. Links last 7 days by default and can be extended to 14, 21 or 28 days. Set up your emails and reminders first: a longer window on its own tends to slow onboarding rather than lift completion. There is a one-off cost; see the pricing page.
• Talk to us. If your completion rate is still low, book a short call and we will look at your setup with you.

Where to start

Brand your first email, set up your reminders and tell clients the check is coming. Those three steps cost nothing and make the biggest difference. Add SMS, an intake form or a longer link once they are in place.