Rakuten Mobile this week announced that it will introduce the “AI Kantan Honnin Kakunin” (AI Easy ID Verification) eKYC (electronic Know Your Customer) service for online contracts for its mobile carrier service on November 9, 2020.
Through the eKYC service, customers are able to verify their identity with their smartphone by taking a photo of their driver’s license and their face. There are also plans to add an IC chip reader function to accept applications made with My Number Cards as well. Rakuten Mobile said it is the first mobile network operator (MNO) in Japan to provide an eKYC system for mobile carrier service contracts.
For Rakuten Mobile online contracts to date, the identity verification process was completed after customers uploaded the required identification documents in advance and the product was successfully delivered to the address included in the documents, or after the customer displayed the required documents at the time of delivery, without uploading the documents in advance. With the new eKYC service, customers can easily verify their identity and complete their contract online. Furthermore, by using the eKYC service combined with an eSIM, which Rakuten Mobile offers, and eSIM-compatible device when applying, customers can start using mobile services soon after they complete their application, without needing to wait to receive their SIM card or product.
The eKYC service will initially be introduced for contracts made through the My Rakuten Mobile app (Android) from November 9. There are plans to bring the eKYC service to iOS devices in time with the launch of the My Rakuten Mobile iOS app on November 30, and to expand the service to contracts made through the official Rakuten Mobile website. Going forward, Rakuten Mobile plans to add an IC chip reader function and accept applications made with My Number Cards. The IC chip reader function is intended to reduce upload time and improve security by preventing the use of falsified documents.
Rakuten Mobile’s eKYC service utilizes the “Digital KYC” identity verification service supplied by NEC, which offers quick and secure identity verification.
