Tips for scanning or photographing ID documents

Last updated: Mar 31, 2025
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Here are some tips for taking photos or scans that will meet our image requirements.

Note: photos are preferred over scans.

If using a camera to take a photo:

  1. 1

    Place the ID on a dark surface.

  2. 2

    Use sufficient, natural lighting instead of a flash. It's best if the photo is taken during the daytime.

  3. 3

    Take the photo as directly above the ID as possible. Be sure that your shadow does not cover your ID.

  4. 4

    Make sure that all four edges of your ID are visible within the image and all information on the ID is clear & legible - no details are blurred or covered.

If using a scanner to create a scan:

  1. 1

    Place the ID in the middle of the scanner so that all four edges of the ID are clearly visible. Do NOT place the ID against one of the corners or sides of the scanner.

  2. 2

    Place a dark sheet of paper (or a dark covered book or cloth) on top of the ID.

  3. 3

    Scan the ID.

  4. 4

    Crop the scan to fit the ID, leaving around a half inch of space around the edges of the ID.

You will also need to make sure that your photo/scan meets our technical parameters. When uploading documents for account verification, please ensure your documents are not password protected. This will cause delays in the verification process and you will be asked to resubmit the documents with the password protection removed.If you receive the error "Invalid Parameters", when uploading your documents, this means the file doesn't fit our technical parameters (and in some rare cases, even if it does). Make sure that your upload files meet these guidelines:

Minimum

Maximum

File size

5 KB

16 MB

Image dimensions

350 x 350px

6144 x 6144px

Supported

Not Supported

File types

.jpeg

.jpg

.png

.pdf

.csv

.docx

.heic

.xls

  • •

    If one or more of these parameters are not met, your upload will fail.

  • •

    If your file is within these guidelines but you still get the error, please take a screenshot of your image and try to upload that instead.

  • •

    If it still does not work, please contact support and mention "Invalid Parameters" in your message.

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