Government IDs

Asking for IDs#

• Say which IDs you accept, up front, before the user starts.
• Give the self-service check beside the field: "Dial *565*0# to see your BVN" / "Dial *346# to check your NIN".
• Explain the legal basis plainly: "The CBN requires us to verify your identity before you can send more than ₦50,000."
• Reassure about scope: an ID number is not account access. Say so.

When verification fails#

Name mismatches are common reasons verification experiences fail. This could be due to marriage, anglicised spellings, and order differences between documents. Don't write "details do not match". Say which record disagrees and what the user can do:

The name on this BVN doesn't match the name you entered.

Enter your name exactly as it appears on your bank account details. Check a bank SMS or statement for this. If your name has changed, update it with your bank first, then try again.

Related guidance#

• Forms
• Financial terminology