Photo ID only for New Chase 1.5% Bank Account (and other things)

MartusJK

Hi there, you might have seen details of this new savings account on MSE. Great I thought, I will have some of that, sounds easy, just get the app, register and away you go.... but then I came up against a barrier I have expereinced in other financial matters, you see I dont drive or have a passport, and no "photo ID", no application possible. I checked with them on the phone, I offered all sorts of other ID that has (eventually) worked for other things, like NI number, Birth certificate, bank statements, utlity bills etc etc, but no, its this driving licence or passport or no go. So my first question is whether this is some sort of unfar discrimination? And surely I am not the ony person not bothered by foreign travel or driving (actually I reckon I should be given preferential treatment for my contribution to reducing pollution/climate change etc!) so how do others get around this? (yes I know I just could fork out £75 for a passport but its getting to be a point of principle for me now, why should I have to do that when there are so many other verifiable and easily checkable sources of my ID especially online these days?).

djpailo

It is not discrimination. They need a way to verify your physical appearance. The other documents you suggest do not have a photo. 

ChilliBob

Don't you need photo ID for other purposes, like mortgages, or if you're fortunate enough to look young? I'm 40 this year and was asked for ID, probably as a joke, in Sainsbury's before lol recently.

To be honest you'll probably come up against this for other stuff going forward, I opened a few accounts recently they have needed it. 

Daliah

I am afraid, it is your choice not to have a Government - issued photo ID. You spending £75 to get one is a great deal cheaper, easier and faster than Chase, or other digital providers (banks and others) coming up with an ID verification system that is anywhere near as secure and cost-effective as a single system which uses an approved photo ID. In addition, no business has an obligation to cater for 100% of the population, or even for 100% of the adult population.

ColdIron

Their bank, their rules I'm afraid

yes I know I just could fork out £75 for a passport

That would solve the issue (and others in the future) completely

but its getting to be a point of principle for me now

You have a decision then, principles or cash

Albermarle

I have never had to upload a photo id to open a new financial product ( although I did for the NHS app)

Is this because I have not opened a new product for about 18 months and the use of photo id has become a lot more prevalent in the meantime ? Or is it because I have never opened an app only financial product ? Although I have apps for pensions etc that I originally registered with via a webpage.

coyrls

Wouldn't a provisional driving licence work?  It would be cheaper than a passport.

MartusJK

Many thanks for all your comments and replying so soon. OK I know its a bit banging my head against a wall here but I still get irritated about this, and there are still so many applications that dont require this mughsot business and seem to function completely well - e.g. I just registered for voting in a new place and a few peices of personal ID and it was all set up no problem.

And I have had to thoroughly verfify my ID quite a few times lately selling a property and I managed to do this succesfully through a combination of other ways using these other unique personal identifiers, it took a bit longer but it worked in the end

. Otherwise, in the previous 15 or so years I have gone along very happily without needing any photo ID for anything at all

I suppose the point I am really making is someone like Chase is not bothering to cater for someone like me, they could easily have a facility to verify using other identifiers - and on the question of discrimination (maybe exclusion is a better word?), what about say severely disabled people (thankfully not myself - but how do they know?) who simply cant drive or travel and may be in very tight financial circumstances, why should they have to pay the £75?

I suppose all this would have been made redundant if we had gone down the route like other countries of personal ID cards but thats a whole different discussion!

Stompa

I too have no Photo ID. But I can understand why they require it, so I'll just bank elsewhere.

dunstonh

 I offered all sorts of other ID that has (eventually) worked for other things, like NI number, Birth certificate, bank statements, utlity bills etc etc, but no, its this driving licence or passport or no go.

NI Number and birth certificates are not accepted as proof of ID.    Bank statements and utility bills are accepted as a secondary document where you have a primary ID, such as a photo DL and passport.

So my first question is whether this is some sort of unfar discrimination? 

No.  You are not being discriminated.  Indeed, it is a bit crude to suggest it when you consider what real victims of discrimination suffer.

why should I have to do that when there are so many other verifiable and easily checkable sources of my ID especially online these days?).

If you fail the online check, the companies have to revert to manual checks.  Although there are some that won't accept manual checks and will only accept those that pass as customers.

Wouldn't a provisional driving licence work?  It would be cheaper than a passport.

Whilst some accept provisional, most will not.

 e.g. I just registered for voting in a new place and a few peices of personal ID and it was all set up no problem.

Maybe Chase did an electronic check on you and you failed. Hence the need for manual ID checks.   A recent change could cause ID failures for over a year after an address change.

I suppose the point I am really making is someone like Chase is not bothering to cater for someone like me, they could easily have a facility to verify using other identifier

Maybe they do.  i.e. first method is electronic check.  if that fails, then revert to manual.  If that fails as then dont offer services as its too expensive to go around catering for cases like that and they would have to reduce their interest rate to cover it.

and may be in very tight financial circumstances

So, not really in the target market of the bank.

Daliah

Albermarle said:

I have never had to upload a photo id to open a new financial product ( although I did for the NHS app)

Is this because I have not opened a new product for about 18 months and the use of photo id has become a lot more prevalent in the meantime ? Or is it because I have never opened an app only financial product ? Although I have apps for pensions etc that I originally registered with via a webpage.

You can't open a Chase account (and some others) without a Government-issued photo ID.