Digital lender GoTyme Bank has linked its account-opening system directly to the Philippine government’s National ID database, allowing customers to verify their identity without scanning or uploading physical documents.
The integration with the Philippine Statistics Authority’s National ID Authentication Services enables users to open an account in under five minutes, GoTyme said.
Customers can verify their identity using the QR code on a physical or paper PhilSys ID, their PhilSys Card Number, or their name and date of birth, which are checked in real time against government records.
The system could help widen access to banking services in the Philippines, where about half of adults remain unbanked or underbanked and difficulties in verifying identities have been a barrier to opening accounts.
More than 94 million Filipinos have registered with the Philippine Identification System, or PhilSys.
“With our direct integration into the National ID Authentication Services, GoTyme Bank can verify a customer’s identity against official government records in real time, making account opening simpler, faster, and more secure,” GoTyme Chief Strategy and Proposition Officer Shern Teo said.
The direct connection turns the National ID into a real-time verification tool rather than requiring customers to submit an image of an identity document, potentially easing account opening for people in underserved areas and Filipinos overseas.
GoTyme Bank is a joint venture between the Gokongwei Group and Singapore-based digital banking group Tyme.
