Fintech & financial services

Structural ID checks that fit into FICA workflows

Reject mistyped or checksum-invalid ID numbers during onboarding, lending intake, or accounting client registration. CheckID checks ID structure. It does not query Home Affairs or provide a complete FICA/KYC product.

Free South African ID checker South African ID validation API

Spot-check one customer ID free.

Where it fits in onboarding

Applicant enters a 13-digit SA ID on the application
CheckID structural validation (format, date, checksum)
Invalid → stop the application and ask for a correction
Valid → continue to your formal identification / KYC vendor
Only then open the account or disburse

Stop invalid IDs before they reach your KYC vendor

Failed applications in the queue

Ops teams spend hours on applications that never could have passed checksum rules. A first-pass structural check keeps reviewers focused on genuine exceptions.

Vendor costs for invalid IDs

Document-verification and screening vendors still charge when the ID number itself is structurally invalid. Filter those out before you pay for a fuller check.

Audit-trail noise

Logging “ID captured” when the number fails Luhn creates messy case files. Record a structural pass/fail first, then run your accountable-institution steps.

Fits into FICA workflows

Structural ID validation helps catch invalid identity numbers before your formal customer-identification and verification steps. CheckID does not replace Home Affairs verification or a full FICA/KYC solution.

Live onboarding API

Fintech and lending platforms can call the single-ID endpoint as soon as the applicant types the number. Block submit when isValid is false.

Follow the South African ID validation API. API Starter is for single calls; bulk backfills need Professional.

Accounting and admin intake

Practices that collect client IDs for SARS or CIPC filings can spot-check with the free web checker, then use the API when volume grows.

Compare plans on CheckID pricing for API and bulk plans.

POPIA considerations for customer IDs

Purpose limitation at application

Collect the ID number only when you need it for onboarding or a lawful FICA step. Check whether each form field is necessary. A structural check does not require storing a scanned ID book on a third-party server.

Zero storage on CheckID

We process in memory and discard the number. Your CRM, loan origination system, or practice file still needs a retention policy. See POPIA and ID number handling.

What CheckID does not replace

Home Affairs verification or any government identity database lookup
A full FICA/KYC programme (document checks, risk rating, ongoing due diligence)
Credit bureaux, affordability assessments, or sanctions screening
Proof that the person at the keyboard is the lawful holder of the number

Financial-services use cases

Fintech account opening

Wallet, payments, and lending apps can reject invalid IDs before the applicant reaches document upload.

Credit and lending intake

Flag impossible birth dates before credit analysts review the file.

Accounting and professional firms

Validate client IDs when opening a new engagement file, then keep your own records. CheckID does not store them.

Check an ID number and name against Home Affairs records for R39.90. For applicant, tenant and customer checks. A match emails you the details as a PDF, and you get a full refund if the name does not match.

Verify with Home Affairs

Look up a South African company by registration number against CIPC records, for R299. For supplier, tenant and counterparty checks. You get a PDF by email and a full refund if the company is not on the register.

Check a company

API example

Example: fail-fast onboarding check

Call the single-ID endpoint from your application service before you create a customer record or hand the file to a KYC vendor.

8001015009087 is the public sample ID used across CheckID docs, not a live customer number. Replace YOUR_API_KEY with a key from your dashboard. See the South African ID validation API and 5-minute South African ID validation API tutorial.

# Onboarding API: reject checksum-invalid IDs before KYC
curl -s "https://api.checkid.co.za/api/v1/validate/8001015009087" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Pricing for onboarding teams

Free checker for analysts doing spot reviews. API Starter from R99/month for live application calls. Professional for bulk backfills and team access. Compare plans on CheckID pricing for API and bulk plans.

Related onboarding resources

The checker, API, bulk jobs and POPIA notes for onboarding teams.

Frequently asked questions

Does CheckID replace FICA or KYC?

No. Structural ID validation helps catch invalid identity numbers before your formal customer-identification and verification steps. CheckID does not replace Home Affairs verification or a full FICA/KYC solution.

Will CheckID store customer ID numbers?

No. Numbers are processed in memory and discarded after the response. Retention in your onboarding system remains your organisation’s decision.

Can we bulk-validate onboarding queues?

Professional includes bulk API and web bulk validation for backfills and nightly imports. API Starter (R99/month) is limited to single production calls.

What does a valid result actually prove?

That the 13-digit number passes format, date encoding, citizenship digit, and Luhn checksum rules. It does not prove the applicant is the lawful holder of that number.

Keep invalid IDs out of the KYC queue

Check one number free, then automate the same structural step in your onboarding API.

Free South African ID checker CheckID pricing for API and bulk plans