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Verifying your identity FAQ

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Prolific Team

How do I verify my ID?

You can verify your ID from your Account page:

  1. Click Verify my ID and you'll be taken to an Onfido webpage (Onfido is the software provider we're using to verify ID)
  2. Take a photo of your ID 
  3. Take a photo of yourself
  4. Submit!

If you have any issues, please check our FAQs at the bottom of the page.

Why are we asking you to verify using your ID?

Trustworthiness is at the core of Prolific and as a result, we want to make sure that participants in studies are who they say they are.

One of the primary reasons researchers use Prolific is the high quality of data, compared to other study platforms.

By confirming you're a real person, we’re able to continue ensuring the quality of the data provided to researchers is high and keep giving our participants access to the studies that they love.

Please note that we will never ask you to verify ID on Onfido via the Prolific messaging system or request this from a researcher account. We will only ask you to do this directly through our official support team tickets.

Privacy Policy

We understand that it can feel strange to submit a selfie and a picture of your ID, but we'd like to reassure you that your identity documents and selfie are securely stored.

They will only be viewed by members of the participant support team if absolutely necessary.

Onfido, who provide us with the tools to verify IDs, deletes the information associated with your account in 90 days. As part of ID verification they share the following information with us:

  • Your first name and surname
  • Your date of birth
  • The country of origin for your ID

You can read more about Data Protection at Prolific here, and Onfido's Privacy Policy here.

FAQs

Which IDs are accepted?
  • All driving licenses from the US, UK, EU and Australia 
  • All national passports (but you can only sign up as a participant if you live in an OECD country. You can read more about this here)
  • US state ID cards
  • EU ID cards
I don't have my ID with me. Can I use a copy?
We're really sorry, but unfortunately not. You'll need to be able to take a photo of your physical ID and have it with you. There's no way around this step and you won't be able to submit a photocopy or a screenshot of your ID instead.
What if my camera doesn't work?
If your phone is broken or you don't have a functioning camera then the best thing to do is to ask a friend or family member if you can borrow their phone. You can then submit your selfie and ID using their device - the phone number used doesn't have to match your Prolific account.
Tips for submitting your ID
There are a few simple things you can do to make sure that you're able to complete this step seamlessly:
  • Make sure your ID is one that we accept
  • Don't obscure your face or ID when taking a picture
  • Try to follow the instructions on the screen as closely as possible
  • If your ID is double-sided, make sure to take a photo of the front and back
  • Make sure the lighting is good and that your ID isn't in shadow when you take a picture

I'm still having problems

If you've followed the guidance above and you're still having difficulties, click below to send a message to our Support Team.


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