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Diego Burillo

Technical Pre-Sales Team Lead @ Signicat

Secure and Compliant Customer Onboarding with Signicat VideoID

Effortless yet secure customer onboarding is crucial in today’s digital-first environment. For developers aiming to integrate seamless identity verification into their applications, Signicat VideoID offers a secure, compliant, and user-friendly solution. This guide outlines how to use Signicat VideoID for onboarding customers, complete with practical code examples to help you get started.

What is Signicat VideoID?

Signicat VideoID is an electronic identity verification (eIDV) service enabling users to verify their identity remotely using video streaming technology. It supports two process types:

  • VideoID Substantial: Automated checks on an end-user’s ID document and selfie with liveness detection.
  • VideoID High: Adds an extra layer of scrutiny with manual review performed by Signicat or your in-house agents.

Both processes follow a standard flow with the key difference being the manual approval step in the High version, and both provide video evidence of the complete identity verification process, without cuts. Developers can choose the appropriate level based on the required compliance and risk-level.

Integration Overview

To integrate VideoID, you’ll work primarily with the Assure API. This includes creating a dossier (a secure holder for user data), initiating the capture process, and retrieving results. Below, we provide the key steps and code examples.

Step 1. Create a Dossier

Every onboarding process starts with creating a dossier. The dossier serves as a container for all verification data, ensuring secure handling throughout the workflow.

Example:

Use the Create dossier endpoint to initiate a verification process for a user.

      curl -X POST \  
  https://api.signicat.com/assure/dossiers \  
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer <OIDC_ACCESS_TOKEN>' \  
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \  
  -H 'Accept: application/json'

The response will include a dossierId. Keep this value for all subsequent calls.

Step 2. Start the Capture Flow

Once the dossier is created, you need to start the capture flow where the user will upload their ID and take a selfie.

Example:

Send a POST request with the dossierId to activate the capture flow.

      curl --location 'https://api.signicat.com/assure/dossiers/<DOSSIER_ID>/capture' \  
--header 'Authorization: Bearer <OIDC_TOKEN>' \  
--header 'Accept: application/json' \  
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \  
--data '{  
    "providers": [  
        {  
            "provider": "signicatvideoid",  
            "processType": "substantial"  
        }  
    ],  
    "redirectUrl": "<REDIRECT_URL>"  
}'

Signicat will return a unique URL to guide the user through the verification steps, such as capturing their ID document and recording a selfie to prove liveness.

Step 3. Retrieve the Result

After the capture process is completed, retrieve the results using the Get process endpoint.

Example:

      curl --location 'https://api.signicat.com/assure/dossiers/<DOSSIER_ID>/processes/<PROCESS_ID>' \  
--header 'Authorization: Bearer <OIDC_TOKEN>' \  
--header 'Accept: application/json'

The response will include the final result (accepted, rejected, or inconclusive) and related data such as liveness detection score or document authenticity checks. It’s also possible to download the evidence, such as the images of the document and the video recording of the verification process.

Key Differences Between Substantial and High

The primary distinction lies in the manual review step in VideoID High. While Substantial relies on automated checks, High processes involve a support agent reviewing the video and document evidence for additional assurance. The manual review adds a manualApproval object to the response, detailing the verifier’s input.

Best Practices

  • Environment Separation: Use separate environments for sandbox and production to test integrations effectively. VideoID, even in the Sandbox environment, always requires the use of a real document to complete a process.
  • Error Handling: Implement robust error-handling mechanisms by using the detailed failReason object in case of process failures.
  • Security: Always delete the dossier once the process is complete to comply with data minimisation principles.

Signicat VideoID is your go-to solution for secure and compliant identity verification. By integrating these APIs with proper implementation, you ensure a smooth onboarding experience that meets your compliance requirements. Get started today to build trust with your users while safeguarding their data.