Biometric verification
A verified document proves the document is genuine. Biometrics prove the person is genuine — that the human in front of the camera is really the holder of that document, live and present right now. Zanyara does it with one selfie capture that drives three checks at once.
Three checks, one capture
- Face match: a 1:1 similarity score between the live selfie and the document portrait (or the NFC chip’s signed photo), with a configurable accept threshold.
- Liveness & presentation-attack detection: active challenges plus passive signals confirm a real, present person — not a printout, a screen replay, a mask or an injected deepfake.
- Age estimation: an optional estimated age range from the same selfie, for age-restricted flows where you don’t need a full document check.
Why one capture matters
Face match without liveness is easy to fool with a photo of the target. Liveness without face match proves someone is present but not who they are. Running both against the same live capture — and comparing to a trusted reference from the document or its chip — is what actually binds a real person to a real identity. Zanyara returns each signal separately, with a clear pass / refer / fail outcome and the reasons attached for your reviewers.
Pair it with the documentBiometrics answer “is this the right, live person?”; document verification answers “is this a genuine identity?”. Together they are a full identity check.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Zanyara's biometric verification actually check?
- Three things, from one selfie capture: that the live face matches the person on the identity document (face match), that it is a real, present person and not a photo, screen or mask (liveness / presentation-attack detection), and — where you need it — an estimated age. They share the same capture, so the applicant only takes one selfie.
- What is the trusted photo the selfie is compared against?
- The portrait on the verified document — and, when the document has an NFC chip, the cryptographically signed photo read from the chip, which is far harder to tamper with than a printed page. See NFC chip verification.
- Do you store the biometric templates?
- Handling of face images and templates is configurable per client, with data-residency and retention controls, and consent captured up front. Zanyara is UK ICO-registered and processes under UK GDPR. Talk to us about your retention and residency requirements.