Confirm Launches Portable Identity Solution for Use in Peer-to-Peer Marketplaces

Confirm launched a portable identity solution designed for use in online peer-to-peer marketplaces.

The solution allows people to create a secure, verified digital ID called a ConfirmID that they can use to prove their identity online without sharing too much personal information, the company said in a Wednesday (Dec. 13) press release.

“By helping people be sure that the stranger they’re interacting with is who they say they are, Confirm instantly increases the safety and peace of mind in an online transaction,” Confirm Co-founder and CEO Kirk Simpson said in the release.

People can create a ConfirmID using a passport, driver’s license or other government-issued ID, according to the release. They can then share the ConfirmID safely with others, over and over, anywhere they go online.

This solution is designed to work with Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji, eBay and any other peer-to-peer marketplace, the release said.

Confirm also offers other features, such as determining the owner of a Facebook account and establishing payment terms and meeting places for in-person transactions, per the release.

“We’re confident that each month Confirm will help millions of people worldwide feel safer and more confident in their online transactions,” Peter Carrescia, co-founder and head of strategy at Confirm, said in the release. “And we envision a future where Confirm’s verified portable identity as well as other verified authentic data will be available to use in online environments and interactions, ranging from social media to financial services, talent management and commerce.”

PYMNTS Intelligence found that 73% of consumers said they would like to choose their own methods for verifying their identity.

In addition, 60% said they would prefer to verify their identity using two-factor ID methods some of the time for the added level of security, according to the “Alternative Payments Tracker®,” a PYMNTS and Socure collaboration.

A single source of truth in the form of a dynamic digital identity that can navigate multiple contexts and support real-time interoperability is a key element missing from the payments ecosystem, PYMNTS reported in November.

The rise of ever-faster digital payment methods has fueled a continuing need to ensure security.