Post Office launches free app for easier ID verification

The Post Office has today announced that customers can now collect letters and parcels using an app on their phone to show their ID, instead of having to bring physical documents with them. 

The free Post Office EasyID app, created by digital identity company Yoti, aims to make life easier for the millions of people who buy items online from retailers and get them delivered to their local Post Office for collection. It is also handy for those who miss a home mail delivery and choose to get it delivered to a local Post Office instead, especially since many Post Offices are often open in the evening.

Users verify their identity on the app by using documents such as a passport, driving license or national ID card, and facial recognition software – like that used by automated airport barriers. This creates a secure digital ID on their mobile device, including their photo and date of birth, which is protected by their biometrics and a PIN and can be presented in Post Offices and shops.

This is the latest development in the Post Office’s strategy to embrace new technology and deliver improvements that help Postmasters operate more efficiently.

As Governments and businesses across the UK seek to facilitate easier confirmation of identity digitally in order to access services and to help combat fraud, the Post office’s EasyID app provides people with a free-to-use service that can be used to control with whom and how they share their identity.

“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,” said Chief Executive at the Post Office, Nick Read. “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.”

The Post Office EasyID app can be downloaded from Andriod Play or the Apple App Store.