Post Office customers can now use an app to verify their identity when they collect their online shopping.
The Post Office says that from today shoppers will be able to use the Post Office EasyID app to show who they are when they collect parcels and letters from senders including online retailers, rather than bringing passports or other identification with them.
It says the app will make life easier for millions of people who now buy online and get their parcels delivered to their local Post Office for collection, or choose to pick up from a Post Office when they miss a home delivery. The app can also be used when collecting mail or to prove age when cashing in National Lottery tickets at Post Offices, or within the Payzone network at convenience stores.
Customers download the app, developed by Yoti, from the Apple App Store or Android Play before verifying their identify using a passport, driving licence or ID card as well as facial recognition software to create a secure digital ID on their mobile device that includes their photograph and date of birth. The ID is protected to by biometrics and a PIN number.
Post Office chief executive Nick Read says: “Our free-to-use Post Office EasyID app is all about making life a little bit easier for the millions of people who use our branches to collect their parcels and other mail. Having the app means you don’t need to show a physical copy of your driving licence or passport to prove your identity, meaning a quicker and safer experience in a branch.
“The app allows customers to build their own secure digital identity on their smartphone, enabling them to easily control and prove who they are to whichever business they want to interact with. We see this as an exciting opportunity for customers and postmasters alike and expect the app to become a standard way of verifying ID for many businesses nationwide. For Postmasters, the app brings a range of particular advantages. As well as making the collection process faster, it will encourage people to choose delivery to Post Offices and help drive footfall. In addition, the app can be used for proof of age in Post Offices and shops, to buy age-restricted items including lottery tickets and medicines.”
Robin Tombs, co-founder and chief executive of Yoti, says: “Having announced our partnership with Post Office in February, we’re delighted to see our first service go live so quickly – it’s a testament to the collaboration between our teams. The UK government earlier this year said that ‘a digital identity you can use easily and universally will be the cornerstone of future economies, unlock the digital economy, improve access to services, safeguard privacy and combat fraud.’ EasyID demonstrates that Post Office and Yoti are driving innovation that will benefit consumers, business and its own Postmasters alike.
“Together we will transform the way that people prove their identity in the UK. We’ll remove friction from ID processes online and on the high street, and tackle the growing threat of identity fraud.”
