With instances of identity thefts becoming commonplace, it has increasingly become important for businesses to perform identity verification on all their customers. This includes demanding valid identity proof as well as address proof. In a country like India, where just 10 percent of the population has valid credit scores, it is a necessary step for every business to determine their paying attitude. Know Your Customer (KYC) and making it mandatory for people to link their Aadhaar with bank accounts and phone numbers are popular steps that are enforced to ensure that no frauds occur.
However, we all know that a large portion of the rural population in India lacks access to financial institutions like banks, and does not even own mobile phones. Yet, they still need monetary aid like loans. Moreover, ID proofs like Aadhaar, even though it is widely used and easily available in urban areas, are still not available in some parts of the country. And many times, ID proofs like a voter’s ID are not always sufficient. More often than not, many businesses require additional documents like utility bills to verify the address and financial condition of an individual. NBFCs are using utility bill verification as a part of the KYC process to support the unbanked rural population across the country. So, it appears that for India, utility bill verification is the most pragmatic approach for businesses to undertake when it comes to verifying not only the identity and address of customers but their paying attitude and capability too. And since an electricity bill is the one document that most people are likely to have, an electricity bill verification is the most convenient and reliable proof that customers can submit, especially in rural areas. Besides, for businesses, not only does this help in mitigating risks, it strengthens the relationship they share with their customers. It also proves to customers that they are a company that genuinely cares about a safe and secure business procedure and such practices like electricity bill verification establishes them as brand people can place their trust in. With increasing pressure and regulations from the central government for businesses to perform identity authentication on customers to prevent any identity theft or fraud, an electricity bill verification can provide much-needed help to document customer details.
Methodology of electricity bill verification
At AuthBridge, we use advanced and state-of-the-art application program interfaces or Electricity Bill Verification API for a thorough and accurate electricity bill verification of any individual, by pulling out data from each state’s electricity board. Thanks to cutting-edge technological innovations, we are able to access an accurate and complete database to carry out electricity bill verification that any business may need. Here are the various kinds of information about an individual that can be verified using a thorough electricity bill verification process.
- Identity
An electricity bill verification is proof of a person’s identity as it clearly states their legal name. So, any business can be sure that their customer is exactly who they claim to be, and not an identity thief.
- Residential Address
The residential address of the individual is also clearly stated in their electricity bill or Utility bill. Therefore, an electricity bill verification proves that any business customer provides the correct information about themselves, without any intention of fraud. Plus, in case a fraud does happen, businesses have a way of contacting and tracking down anyone if they had incorporated a utility bill for address verification.
- Attitude towards Credit/Payments
Another benefit of electricity bill verification is that other bill details like the current bill amount and due date, outstanding bills, payment history, and more are available. Such information is valuable because they present the payment-making trend of the individual, and this shows how reliable or financially responsible they are as individuals. So, businesses, especially financial institutions can decide from electricity bill verification if their customers are to be trusted. To know more about the latest developments in KYC and electricity bill verification, reach out to us at
communication@authbridge.com
