Most failed and errored checks come down to a handful of causes. Work through this list before escalating — in most cases you can resolve it by asking the client to re-verify, or by adding a second form of ID.
Remember that Error and Fail are different. An error means the check could not run to a result. A fail means it ran and the details did not match.
Image quality — the most common cause
If the name on the check matches the licence but the result still comes back as a fail or an error, it is usually the photo rather than the data. Ask the client to re-verify and to:
Retake the photo in good, even lighting
Show the full document, not cropped or cut off
Hold the document still so the details are legible
Use a reasonably modern smartphone with a working camera
Expired or out-of-date documents
Check the ID is current. An expired licence or passport will not pass.
Middle names
Middle names cause more failures than any other data issue. Two patterns to look for:
The client left their middle name out when the document shows one — the check fails on the mismatch.
The middle name was captured twice, or the client has two middle names — the check can fail even though the client entered everything correctly.
What to do: ask the client to re-verify, entering their name exactly as it appears on the document.
Names that are too long
Very long names can exceed what the system can process, which produces an error rather than a fail.
What to do: ask the client for a second piece of identification and add it to the case. When you approve the client, record a note explaining that the check failed because of the name length. The note forms part of your audit trail.
Clients with a single name
Where a client's licence shows only one name, the check cannot be run in the standard way. In this case, you can choose to do a manual onboarding where you collect copies of their ID and upload it. Typically, this will mean selecting the 'Change method' that has been selected during verification, and confirming 'Yes', that you have met and verified them before.
Address not matching the licence
A fail against the address means the address held against the document does not match what was submitted. Check the client entered their current residential address as recorded on the licence.
Licence number format
Driver licence numbers are validated by format and differ by state. An invalid format returns a validation error rather than a fail — for example Australia Driver Licence Validation: Invalid value for drivers Licence No. should be: 6 alphanumeric characters.
What to do: check the licence number was entered correctly, including any letters, and re-run the check.
Non-Australian documents
Your account checks against the Australian government database. A foreign document — a New Zealand passport, for example — will return an error because there is no data source to check it against.
Two options:
Complete a manual check on the client's ID instead.
Request access to the New Zealand government data. Contact support for the form — approval can take up to a month, so this is not a fix for a transaction already underway
If the check still won't complete
You have two fallbacks:
Switch to a manual ID check using the change method option in the workflow, and enter the client's details yourself.
Override at the approval stage where you are satisfied the result is wrong — for example where the check has matched the wrong person. Always record your reasoning in the decision note.
If none of the above resolves it, contact support with the client's name and the listing.
This article provides general guidance only and is not legal advice.
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