Aplus Introduces Online Identity Verification Method Supporting IC Chip Reading and Public Personal Authentication to Financial Platform 'BANKIT'

Aplus Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "Aplus"), a member of the SBI Shinsei Bank Group, has introduced a new online identity verification method to its financial platform, "BANKIT," utilizing the "LIQUID eKYC" online identity verification service provided by Liquid Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "Liquid"), a member of the ELEMENTS Group. This new method supports IC chip reading of identity documents and public personal authentication services.

This method complies with the identity verification methods stipulated in the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds. It enhances the security and reliability of identity verification by combining the use of information from IC chips embedded in identity documents, public personal authentication, and verification through facial photography.

While Aplus has been utilizing "LIQUID eKYC" for BANKIT since 2021, the newly introduced electronic signature verification using IC chip information and facial photography allows for rapid identity verification without keeping customers waiting. This contributes to a smoother user experience and reduces the risk of physical document forgery and identity theft.

Through this, Aplus provides a more secure and convenient identity verification infrastructure to partner companies utilizing BANKIT.

Guided by "customer-centricity," Aplus aims to continue developing next-generation financial and payment services through BANKIT, collaborating with partner companies and Fintech firms that possess customer bases, to deliver new financial experiences.

■ About the Financial Platform 'BANKIT'

Aplus, which is registered as a fund transfer service provider and an issuer of prepaid payment instruments, serves as the business entity for this financial platform. It provides financial services—including payment, exchange, and credit functions possessed by the SBI Shinsei Bank Group—to partner companies in a cafeteria-style format (where necessary functions can be selected freely).

There are two plans: the "White Label Plan," which allows the launch of apps equipped with financial and payment functions under a company's own brand, and the "Embedded Plan," which allows financial and payment functions to be incorporated into existing apps using an SDK (Software Development Kit).

■ About the Online Identity Verification Service 'LIQUID eKYC'

This service completes identity verification online, which is necessary for contracts, account registration, and account opening on the internet. It provides methods such as photographing or IC chip reading of identity documents like driver's licenses and My Number cards, verifying them against self-taken facial photos, and utilizing public personal authentication (JPKI / Smartphone JPKI). It also supports age verification for student discounts. Through unique AI, biometric authentication, and OCR technologies, it achieves a low drop-off rate from the start of photography to completion. The ELEMENTS Group has recorded approximately 150 million cumulative identity verification cases and approximately 700 cumulative contracts.