Skip to content

eKYC UX Best Practices

Definition

UX in eKYC directly impacts conversion rates — the percentage of users who start verification and successfully complete it. Poor UX causes drop-offs; great UX maximizes first-attempt success.

The eKYC UX Funnel

graph TD
    A["Start verification<br/>100% of users"] --> B["Document capture<br/>90-95% continue"]
    B --> C["Document back capture<br/>85-90%"]
    C --> D["Selfie capture<br/>80-88%"]
    D --> E["Processing<br/>78-85%"]
    E --> F["Approved<br/>70-80% of starters"]

    style A fill:#4051B5,color:#fff
    style F fill:#2E7D32,color:#fff

Each step loses 5-15% of users. UX optimization at each step compounds.

Best Practices by Step

Document Capture

Practice Impact
Auto-capture (don't make user tap a button) +10-15% first-attempt success
Real-time quality overlay (green = good, red = fix) +8-12% quality improvement
Specific guidance ("Move closer" not just "Poor quality") +5-10% success
Edge detection overlay Guides document positioning
Torch/flash option for low light Prevents dark captures

Selfie Capture

Practice Impact
Face oval guide Centers face correctly
"Look at the camera" instruction Ensures frontal pose
Passive liveness (no challenge instructions) -50% drop-off vs active
Countdown timer (3, 2, 1) before capture Prepares user
Immediate retry with specific error message "Face too dark — find better lighting"

General

Practice Impact
Progress indicator (Step 1 of 3) Reduces anxiety, sets expectations
< 60 second total flow Optimal completion rate
Clear error messages (not "Verification failed") Reduces support tickets
No required app permissions beyond camera Reduces permission anxiety
Works in portrait mode only Simpler orientation handling

Key Takeaways

Summary

  • Auto-capture + real-time guidance are the two highest-impact UX features
  • Passive liveness dramatically reduces drop-off vs active (blink/turn)
  • Target: < 60 seconds end-to-end, > 80% completion rate
  • Specific error messages ("Face too dark") outperform generic ones ("Please try again")
  • Every 1% improvement in completion rate = significant business value at scale