Why are increasing numbers of online services asking you to verify your identity? (Including Billit?)

Why do you need to verify your identity online?

Most online services used to require you to only have a username and password . While this made it easy to quickly create an account and get started, the downside was that no one knew who was really behind the account. Anyone could hide behind a pseudonym or impersonate someone else in complete anonymity. This made identity fraud and social engineering possible,i.e.deceiving other users or agencies to extract sensitive information or even money.

Consequently, more and more companies offering internet services now consider that simple usernames and passwords are no longer enough. That’s why they incorporate additional verifications to ensure their users’ safety.

This is especially important for businesses working with sensitive data such as personal, medical or financial data. For some services, it may also be important to prove that their users have reached a certain age (over 16, adult, etc.). Examples include social media, erotic sites, gambling sites, or web shops selling alcohol or cigarettes.

Depending on the country you live in, there are various ways to verify your identity.

Safer for you and others

We at Billit also believe it is essential to know the real identity of our clients. The important reasons for this are:

1. To ensure access to your account

If you no longer have access to your account, for example, because you forgot your password or because multi-factor authentication (MFA) fails for some reason, you can always regain access , provided you can confirm your identity.

2. For improved customer service

When you contact our support service via the help button in the Billit platform, it is important that your identity is verified so that our staff know exactly who is contacting them. Indeed, they can only give specific details about your file once they are certain of your identity.

3. To gain access to secure e-invoicing networks

One of the major advantages of e-invoicing via Peppol and other networks is that it is much more secure than invoicing via mail or on paper. This is because anyone connected to such a network has to prove their identity. Therefore, when you receive an invoice through such a network, you are always 100 per cent sure of who the sender is. So, to access Peppol and other e-invoicing networks via the Billit Access Point, you must first confirm your identity.

Verifying your identity in Billit

According to the country where your business is located, you can establish your identity in Billit in various ways. This is not only a quick and easy process, but we are also constantly working on new convenient verification methods.

Read more about how to verify your identity in Billit