Stuck in Verify Photo ID

[HoaiAnh0]

So this is my first time using Airbnb, when I press the Request to book button, Airbnb asked me to verify my ID (using passport, visa, ec.) The problem is the system keep insisting that my government ID photo and the photo (selfie) I just took myself doesn't match.

Customer Support didn't help much but tell me to try links to links but the result doesn't change. I've tried with my passport photo is both scanned or taken by phone, my selfie is well-lit. I'm a foreigner living abroad and, I just want to book a room and I don't want my first time experience here become something full of hatred. Would appreciate any suggestion!

Thanks in advanced.

[Luke572]

I have found the solution to this..

The photo of your ID that was uploaded should be uploaded through the AirBnb app and not through the website. If you didn't do this, remove the id and reupload via the actual app. Reason being the app has better recognition software to match against your selfie but because its an automated system it only complains about your selfie and not the ID counterpart that you uploaded.

Annoyingly support don't know this and will only escalate it to somebody from the 'Trust team' who essentially ask you to try again and try again...

[Glenda166]

I tried your suggestion and used the Airbnb app for everything. No dice.

[Lauren3469]

How do you remove the ID though? 

[Philip2888]

I had this problem.  My passport was away for renewal so couldn’t use that. Tried my drivers licence but the photo on it was very poor and they kept sending me an automatic msg saying send another photo. Gave up using my Airbnb account and tried booking using my wife’s. This time the ID was not asked for. Put in our credit card and it used the normal bank verification. Success! Accommodation booked. I think the problem with using my account was that it had PayPal saved as the default payment. As PayPal payments are not verified by the bank AIrbnb ask for the government ID instead. If you use PayPal try removing it and use a credit card instead.

[Antonius14]

I have just tried to book and used a UK debit card, but AirBnB still wanted a photo of an ID, then rejected it.

[Helen3]

Yes you need to provide your driving licence or passport @Antonius14 

[Antonius14]

I uploaded a photo of my passport, but it didn't go through.

[Tatiana755]

hey guys, 

I also had this problem, and tried to verify myself many times with different documents and with a lot of selfie shots. Nothing helped. 

But then I scanned my passport and printed it in black-white. And then made a photo of this black-white scan as my ID document. After that I made a selfie as usual, in color,. After that they verified me after a few minutes.

Note: I made everything through mobile app. 

Try it out, hope it helps you too.

[Lauren3502]

This is very late but could be for anyone new looking at this post. I tried to get it to verify me through the app on my phone 6 times and it didn't work. As soon as I used my laptop camera it worked 1st time so you could maybe try that

[Marcellinus0]

I have the same problem. Trying to book an apartment which I have booked several times before the ID requirement came into affect.

This time it is impossible to book this place. I keep getting requests for more selfies. I spoke to the helpdesk and they mentioned that my ID has now been approved and I just need to rebook and the booking will automatically proceed. Unfortunately that is not the case. Again I am asked for an ID upload. Tried that again. More selfies, but still the same error. 
it seems that Airbnb does not want my booking. I will book a hotel if they are not able to solve this. I am done with uploading documents, airbnb should solve this.

very disappointed airbnb customer

[Stefan3513]

I did more than 30 attemps, spending perhaps 7 hours, and having spoken to 4 different Airbnb helpdesk employees, trying to upload my passport or drivers license info to Airbnb. I have tried everything: upload JPG, PNG, photo, webcam photo, but without succes. I even uploaded a 600 dpi scan of my passport with 3020 x 2262 pixels, with a file size of 3 MB (a better quality and higher resolution is impossible!), but the Airbnb software still found the image quality too low. After 7 days someone from the "Trust team" emailed that I had blocked too many digits of my passport. I should block only the 9 digits of my BSN-number (= Dutch social security number): "The computer needs to be able to read and check the passport number and other digits". OK, fair enough, but when I followed that instruction I still got the error message that I had changed info on my ID (which is true, because our goverment strongly disencourage us to give away our social security number to e.g. hotels!), so I gave up. 30 min later, I got a message that my ID WAS ACCEPTED. It turned out that the Trust team had reviewed and approved my ID manually ...

A friend of mine had the same problem one month ago. However, after many attempts, she opted to NOT COVER HER BSN-number at all. This attempt was succesful!

So bottomline, and perhaps this advice only applies to Dutch customers:
Be very, very patient when getting your ID checked, i.e. do not do it just before booking an accomodation. If you are not succesful:
1. You will have to get somebody from the Trust team to help you. The normal helpdesk staff is not able to help nor has the knowledged and authority to approve your ID. Apparenty this may take a week (or more), and a lot of calls, before you may get in contact with a Trust team member. Alternatively,
2. Don't cover your BSN/Social security number. Do this only if you don't care about your cybersecurity (not my choice).

[Jody216]

Support told me to cover the passport numbers, not the BSN. Probably the instructions about covering BSN are wrong. In many countries a person's social security number is his/her passport number. But not in the Netherlands. Those two numbers are different.

However, after following the guidance of airbnb's second line support, I'm still not successful. Did 4 scans of my passport and 10+ selfies. This wasted my entire afternoon. Goodbye airbnb for me.

I now use airbnb for the pricing, then look the venue up on google maps and contact them directly. voila.

[Annie1712]

Hi Stefan,

I am having the same troubles (NL ID kaart en rijbewijs geprobeerd)

How did you get in contact with the Trust team? 

Thank you for the detailed description of the problem and how you solved it. 

[Helen427]

Airbnb Policy states the words 'May' yet there Templates leaves people with no other options but to upload Government ID and a Selfie.

https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/1237

How the process works

As part of the identity verification process, we "may" ask you to provide us with:

• Legal name, address, and/or other personal information: In some cases, these are sufficient for us to verify your identity.
• Photo of your government-issued ID: This could be a driving licence, passport, identity card, or visa. Learn more about types of government-issued ID.
• Selfie: We may need to ask you for a photograph along with your government-issued ID. If you can’t provide a selfie that matches your government-issued ID, you can contact us for an alternative verification method

Has anyone ever had an explanation from Airbnb as to why this is the case?

Did Airbnb provide you with a valid reason to collect this at times 'sensitive information'?

https://www.multilaw.com/Multilaw/Data_Protection_Laws_Guide/DataProtection_Guide_The_Netherlands.as...

Data minimisation

The processing of personal data must be adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary in relation to the purposes for which those data are processed.

The recent case involving 'Data Minimisation' that Airbnb is a party to may be of interest to those who have been 'stuck in Verified ID' 

Ireland DPC Imposes corrective measures and reprimand

https://www.dataguidance.com/news/ireland-dpc-imposes-corrective-measures-and-reprimand

[Travis346]

I just had the same issues. I covered up my license number (like it said to) and left all other information exposed. I tried 5 times before I just let my license number be captured, and that "magically" worked to verify me.

Good thing we should totally trust all corporations with our sensitive data and none of them ever have data breaches like we see in the news all the time. What a joke.