TD –– A Third Party Integration for Verification

Enabling customers to easily and securely authenticate themselves through their Digital ID

The problem

How might we seamlessly integrate Interac Verification Service into an existing online application to enable customers to easily authenticate themselves in order to open up bank account.

What is Interac Verification Service?

Interac Verification Service (formally known as Verified.Me) is a third party service that helps customers verify their identity as a new bank customer quickly and securely from a customer’s computer or mobile device, using their personal information from another financial institution. While it will help the user authenticate their identity, it will also help pre-fill some of the customer’s basic information such as name, birth date, home address, email address and phone number to help customers complete the application more quickly.

Interac Verification Service is offered by Canada’s major financial institutions, and customers can use it to share information in a convenient, secure, and private way without the need to verify in person.

What are the goals and needs for this project?

  1. Remove the need for users to go through a lengthy verification process.

  2. Create a quicker and more easy to use online application process for opening a bank account.

  3. Increase conversions for new-to-bank customers opening new bank accounts


Current Customer Journey

The problem with the current customer journey is that the customer must go through a lengthier KYC process by answering out-of-wallet questions to authenticate themselves. If that fails, the customer must then go in person to a branch to authenticate themselves –– a step that can deter customers from continuing to opening a bank account.

The Approach

Using our 2-week design sprints, generate designs and concepts to seamlessly integrate Interac Verification Services into the existing online application process.

My Role

  • Co-UX designer

  • Co-UI designer

  • Design handoff

Stakeholders

  • 2 product designers

  • 1 UX writer

  • 2 project managers

  • 1 product owner

  • A team for business, development, fraud & legal

Length

  • 10 months with 2 week sprints

Target Customer Journey

With Interac Verification Service customers who have an account with other financial institutes can use their other account to help pre-fill parts of their new application and help authenticate their identity. This will reduce the time it takes to complete the application, allowing the customer to open their new bank account quicker.


Concept Options

As stated in the business requirements, Interac verification services was required to be positioned at the beginning of the application as an optional choice. The question we had to ask ourselves was "how might we present Interac verification services in an effective way to enhance the overall application process?”

Select application method

In this option, we present the customer with two application methods: first, proceeding with Interac Verification Services; and secondly, applying “manually” or BAU (business as usual).

Pros

IVS is positioned as the priority when listed first. All the details regarding IVS will be the first thing the customer reads.

Cons

Presenting the options plainly may deter customers who aren’t eligible for IVS since the option to proceed “manually” is so low on the page.


Tabs

In this option, we still present the customer with two application methods but we have the details about IVS housed in tabs.

Pros

All the information about IVS isn’t as overwhelming since it’s not being displayed all at once. And IVS is still being made a priority while being listed as the first option.

Cons

Placing information about IVS in tabs require customers to search for the information by clicking through the tabs. The way the options are presented still aren’t ideal for customers who aren’t eligible for IVS.


Progressive disclosure

In this option, we ask the customer if they bank with any of the listed financial institutes to see if the customer is eligible for IVS. If yes, the customer is presented with the option to proceed with IVS. If no, the customer can proceed BAU (business as usual).

Pros

The option to proceed with IVS is presented only to eligible customers. Customers who are not don’t have to waste their time with considering IVS.

Cons

Context isn’t provided as to why we’re asking the customer about other financial institutes. This could confuse the customer.

Final Designs

Progressive Disclosure

The final design made use of the progressive disclosure. This type of conversational design was implemented to create a smoother customer experience that involved as little cognitive load as possible.

If the customer has an account with the listed other financial institutes, they will be presented with the option to move forward with IVS while having the benefits of IVS being highlighted.

If the customer doesn’t have another financial institute account, the customer will not be shown IVS as an option and can continue on with the application normally.

Usability Research

As TD Bank continues to refine their online application process, it was important for TD to collect feedback on how prospects would respond to this identity verification tool and continue with the application process.

Objectives

The key objectives of this research are to understand if users:

  • Have any barriers when exploring the experience

  • Have expectations or unmet needs around the experience

The approach

10 one-on-one observational interviews. 9 mobile users and 1 desktop user completed interviews.

Recruiting specs were as follows:

  • All must be non-TD customers

  • All must have joint or sole financial decision making

  • All must have complete high school level education

  • A mix by: age and gender; tech and bank savviness and online and non-online banking users


Overarching Findings

Application experience exceeded participants’ expectations.

For non-tech savvy participants and those who have never completed an application online, expected:

  • The process to take some time (e.g., 30 mins+)

  • To receive results same day or in 5 business days

  • To need a bigger screen (e.g., iPad or computer)

For those who have completed online applications in the past, expected the process to take 10 – 30 mins and require only basic personal and employment information.

After completing the application, all participants praised the ease and quickness of the process.

Concerns expressed before the experience were alleviated post-completion. 

A few participants did not want to provide their SIN. They were pleased to find that with the use of IVS, that was not required.

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Major Canadian Bank - Application Enhancements with Audit Framework