Post Office customers can now collect parcels and letters using an app to show their ID.

The platform serves as an alternative to using a physical document such a passport or driver's licence as a form of identification.

Created by digital identity company Yoti, the app can also be used as ID when buying age-restricted products including medicines, lottery tickets, or when needing to verify ID online.

The Post Office EasyID app can already be used for completing online transactions that require proof of identity, as well as across the UK at 10,500 Post Offices for mail collection, 5,000 Post Offices that offer National Lottery ticket purchases or for claiming prizes under £500, 13,000 Payzone outlets within convenience stores as a proof of identity or a proof of age, and 12,000 retailers across the UK that already accept ID provided by Yoti.

The Post Office said that the move reflects its aim to drive digital identity adoption to "fight fraud and help people prove their identify safely in person and online."

To use the Post Office EasyID app, customers download it from Android Play or the Apple App Store. They then verify their identity using documents such as a passport, driving licence or national ID card, and facial recognition software – like that used by automated airport barriers.

This creates a secure digital ID on their mobile device, including their photo and date of birth, which is protected by their biometrics and a PIN, and can be presented in Post Offices and shops.

Yoti already provides digital IDs for staff in the NHS, Virgin Atlantic and the States of Jersey.

“Our free-to-use Post Office EasyID app is all about making life a little bit easier for the millions of people who use our branches to collect their parcels and other mail,” said Nick Read, chief executive, Post Office. “Having the app means you don’t need to show a physical copy of your driving licence or passport to prove your identity, meaning a quicker and safer experience in a branch.”

Read added: “The app allows customers to build their own secure digital identity on their smartphone, enabling them to easily control and prove who they are to whichever business they want to interact with. We see this as an exciting opportunity for customers and postmasters alike and expect the app to become a standard way of verifying ID for many businesses nationwide.”

Robin Tombs, co-founder and chief executive of Yoti, said: “The UK government earlier this year said that ‘a digital identity you can use easily and universally will be the cornerstone of future economies, unlock the digital economy, improve access to services, safeguard privacy and combat fraud.’ EasyID demonstrates that Post Office and Yoti are driving innovation that will benefit consumers, business and its own Postmasters alike.”

Share Story: