A Complete Guide to Choosing the Best ID Scanning Device
Although there are many ID scanning devices on the market, it’s possible to integrate ID scanning technology into other devices. Scan and extract all ID data using mobile phones, tablets or desktop cameras.
With flexibility and easy integration on any device, more options are available to businesses.
Use this article as an ID scanning technology guide. Learn the differences between ID scanning devices and their use cases.
Understand how ID scanning technology works and what to consider before purchasing ID scanning devices and solutions.
Types of ID Scanning Devices
Before deciding on the best ID scanning device for your company, evaluate:
- Cost implications – Considering that some devices can produce the identical results, it’s important to compare the cost differences.
- Software compatibility – Not all devices provide the same flexibility when selecting ID software.
- Use cases – Understand how a specific device can be implemented into your ID verification process.
Mobile Phones
When choosing ID scanners, most companies opt for mobile phones. Smartphones are extremely affordable. A cell phone with a high-quality camera can be found on the market for as little as $200.
Moreover, it’s common for companies to already have business mobile phones, so there is no additional cost for purchasing a new device. They’re also convenient to carry. For example, if you’re organizing events, a mobile phone is the best ID scanning device for authorizing event staff on the spot.
ID Scanners
ID scanners are mostly used in border controls, banks, and other institutions for authenticity checks. Unlike smartphones, ID scanners are less affordable. Prices of ID scanners can range from $450 up to $1,500 per device. In most cases, ID scanners (hardware) and ID scanning software are sold separately.
ID scanners are usually tied to specific software. If you’re choosing ID scanners, you’re often committed to a certain software without the possibility of integration with other software on the market.
Plus, ID scanners are single-purpose devices. As technology develops, there is less focus on developing single-purpose devices, and more on utilizing existing devices with cloud-based software solutions.
ScanDoc’s IDMaster is a high quality LAN-based scanner with excellent functionalities. It comes with ScanDoc’s document scanning APIs. See the scanner below.
Laptop, Tablet and Desktop
Even though most of users access the internet using mobile phones, there’s still a significant number of people using laptops, tablets and desktops. For instance, many platforms for independent freelancers and contractors require a detailed sign-up process.
It’s much easier to sign up and edit the profile on these platforms on a laptop, tablet or desktop.
Usually, to complete the process, there is an ID verification before being able to start working. In these cases, users can capture their ID on a laptop, tablet or desktop camera to verify their account.
However, compared to mobile phones, laptops, tablets, and desktop cameras are usually of a lower quality which doesn’t make them the best ID scanning device for scanning IDs. Considering mobile phones have better quality cameras, many platforms offer users to scan their documents on multiple devices.
How Does ID Scanning Technology Work?
In the first part of the ID scanning technology guide, we’ve covered everything you need to know about scanning devices.
The second part will answer how ID scanning technology works, and what are the benefits, features, and use cases.
ID and passport manual data entry is being replaced by ID scanning technology. ID scanning is an automated and fast process.
Software like ScanDoc takes only 1.5 seconds to process a document with 99% accuracy. Implementing ID scanning software is convenient for processing large numbers of IDs and passports or for the identity verification process.
So, how does it work?
The first step is to scan an ID using a mobile phone, tablet, laptop or desktop camera. In this process, ID scanning technology performs optical character recognition (OCR) and machine-readable zones (MRZ) for data extraction.
MRZ are two lines of alphanumeric characters on the bottom of the identification document. While the first line consists of document type, issuing country or organization code, document number, and the holder’s nationality, the second line includes the holder’s last name, first name, date of birth, and gender.
MRZ lines on ID documents are internationally recognized standards. Meanwhile, OCR reads and extracts alphanumeric characters from ID documents. ScanDoc reads the MRZ, OCR and barcode to ensure the ID document contains all the necessary elements.
ScanDoc accurately captures data from over 500 documents worldwide. Moreover, its multilingual capabilities ensure information is accurately extracted regardless of the document’s language and alphabet.
Besides English, ScanDoc is available in Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, and other widely spoken languages.
Benefits of ID Scanning Technology
- Time efficiency
- Reducing workload
- Improving customer experience
- Cost savings
- Easy to use
- Reliability and accuracy
- Organized data storage information
- Data security and safety
- Competitive advantage
- Opportunity for business growth
What to Consider Before Purchasing ID Scanning Technology?
When investing into ID scanning solutions, you should consider:
System integration: If you want to implement ID software into an existing system, it’s fundamental to explore integration options. It’s much easier to work with an ID scanning software provider that understands your industry needs.
ScanDoc is used in a wide range of industries. One of the reasons is its ease of integration into any system using Open API and SDK.
Data management: During the ID scanning, the customer’s private data is being processed.ScanDoc guarantees that all sensitive information extracted from IDs and passports remains hidden to unauthorized access or potential breaches. To further protect the privacy of your customers, ScanDoc doesn’t store photos and information from scanned documents.
Ease of use: Even though most of the ID scanning solutions advertise fast, easy and accurate data extraction, it’s advisable to request a demo to test it out. Participating in a demo will provide first-hand user and customer experience. Moreover, you’ll be able to ask all the questions and ensure you’re making an informed decision for your business.
Use Cases of ID Scanning Technology
Hospitality: ScanDoc is used both for online and reception hotel check-in. It can easily extract and transfer all the ID information into the guest profile within the hotel property management system, along with the ID image. Check here how hospitality integration works.
Finance and Telecom: ID scanning is used in online customer onboarding. With the combination of ID scanning and face recognition technology, ScanDoc eliminates lengthy forms and complex procedures.
It also simplifies the online age verification process for age-restricted services and products. Banks and telecoms implement an online ID verification process for customers opening bank accounts or signing up for a mobile phone plan.
To prevent identity fraud and impersonation attempts, ScanDoc utilizes advanced face recognition technology.
Implementing ID Scanning Devices and Technology
With technology advancements, there’s less need for single-use ID scanners. ID scanning technology is widely used and can be compatible with mobile phones, laptops, tablets, desktops and other devices.
Considering all the features, smartphones are the best ID scanning device. They are affordable, have high-quality cameras and are compatible with different ID scanning solutions.
Using mobile phones as ID scanning devices leaves you with many software options. When choosing an ID scanning solution, explore possibilities of system integration, level of data security and customer experience.
ScanDoc is easy to integrate due to its Open API and both iOS and Android SDKs. Developers can implement ID scanning into existing mobile apps, desktop applications, or web-based platforms. Plus, ScanDoc supports various documentation including PDF, JPEG, PNG, and TIFF.
With its flexibility and different use cases, ScanDoc can be integrated into any business.
Have unanswered questions about ID scanning devices, solutions and use cases?
Contact us or request a demo to understand how ScanDoc ID scanning technology can revolutionize and streamline ID verification for your business.