Photo ID

Alp1ne

Just tried to apply for a credit card and was rejected because I did not have photo ID. I also started a bank account application and had to cancel - again it required photo ID.  I was born in the UK over 60 years ago, have a completley clean record - never missed a payment and have never had a problem before this week in applying for accounts or credit cards.  As it is not a legal requirement yet surely they are preventing access to bank accounts and credit for some people of a certain age and circumstance?  Perhaps the credit card search tool should include this requirement - after all it said I was 100% certain to be accepted!

eskbanker

They're choosing not to offer products to those who have insufficient proof of their identity, as a result of increasingly stringent regulations, which is a separate issue from such ID being mandated by law for other purposes - there's no age (or other unlawful) discrimination involved if that's what you're trying to suggest.

forgotmyname

It's their terms and conditions so you choose whether you want a card or account more than not having photo ID.

Similar position myself having only an old paper Driving Licence and no photo ID at all.  I cancelled Revolut due to no photo ID
but so far that is the only issue although it's probably going to be compulsory in the not too distant future.

Alp1ne

I'm not suggesting unlawful discrimination - just lazy incompetence - probably we are already seeing the results of robotic AI and what we can expect going forward.  The rejection e-mail actually included the following message:  "Banking should be for everyone".  I'm about to write back to ask them if this is some kind of joke?

DullGreyGuy

Alp1ne said:

Just tried to apply for a credit card and was rejected because I did not have photo ID. I also started a bank account application and had to cancel - again it required photo ID.  I was born in the UK over 60 years ago, have a completley clean record - never missed a payment and have never had a problem before this week in applying for accounts or credit cards.  As it is not a legal requirement yet surely they are preventing access to bank accounts and credit for some people of a certain age and circumstance?  Perhaps the credit card search tool should include this requirement - after all it said I was 100% certain to be accepted!

Rules and/or guideance  on anti-money laundering, know your customer etc get updated periodically and the fines banks are receiving for not doing proper checks keep getting bigger too its no surprise checks are getting more stringent. 

Most banks publish what they require for KYC, most will want one item for ID and one item for address. Just having a piece of paper with a name on it doesn't really prove its you as I'm sure if I went bin diving I could find some paperwork from at least one of our neighbours in their trash hence companies are leaning towards photoID for proof of ID. 

In some cases they will accept non-photo ID but then become more prescriptive of what the proof of ID needs to be and ask for a 3rd item. 

p00hsticks

It's an issue that's come up a number of times on these boards.
It's not lazy incompetence, but rather banks and other institutions both responding to the ever more stringent Anti-money Laundering legislation and also trying to tighten on scammers opening bank accounts and acting fraudulently in other ways .   

I recommend that if you want to do things such as claim benefits, open new bank accounts, get credit, buy and sell property, vote in this country with the minimum of fuss that you bite the bullet and apply for a passport, even if you have no intention of travelling abroad, and treat it as a de-facto ID card. 

user1977

p00hsticks said:

I recommend that if you want to do things such as claim benefits, open new bank accounts, get credit, buy and sell property, vote in this country with the minimum of fuss that you bite the bullet and apply for a passport, even if you have no intention of travelling abroad, and treat it as a de-facto ID card. 

Or take the money-saving option and get a driving licence (assuming you don't have medical reasons which prohibit you holding one).

Ergates

Alp1ne said:

As it is not a legal requirement yet surely they are preventing access to bank accounts and credit for some people of a certain age and circumstance?

Not having photo ID is not a factor of age, and is not a protected characteristic.


 Alp1ne said:

I'm not suggesting unlawful discrimination - just lazy incompetence - probably we are already seeing the results of robotic AI and what we can expect going forward.  The rejection e-mail actually included the following message:  "Banking should be for everyone".  I'm about to write back to ask them if this is some kind of joke?

Preventing identity fraud is not "lazy incompetence", it is a legal requirements for the banks.  It also has nothing to do with AI.

born_again

Alp1ne said:

I'm not suggesting unlawful discrimination - just lazy incompetence - probably we are already seeing the results of robotic AI and what we can expect going forward.  The rejection e-mail actually included the following message:  "Banking should be for everyone".  I'm about to write back to ask them if this is some kind of joke?

You can apply in branch (if the bank you are applying to has branches). So long as you have the other required proof of ID.