ID.me and Sterling extend their partnership through 2028, maintaining their commitment to growing identity verification solutions

The two companies continue to advance innovation and adoption of identity verification solutions in order to prevent employment fraud and enhance screening quality.

ID.me, the foremost digital identity and credentials network on the market, and Sterling Check Corp., the largest provider of identity and background services, have extended their exclusive agreement until July 2028. The agreement was established for the first time in January 2021. This extension reaffirms the commitment of the two market leaders to satisfy the rising demand for innovative identity solutions among US employers.

ID.me and Sterling have brought to market the only identity-first solution that improves pre-employment screening and strengthens recruiting practices. This solution enables employers to confirm the identity of candidates using a variety of methods, including telecom/device, government-issued ID, biometric facial matching, and more. We believe Sterling and ID.me have the only solution that guarantees 100 percent of legitimate candidates can complete the identity verification process online, via video conversation, or in person.

When employers verify identity in advance, they ensure accurate candidate information and enhance screening results, thereby reducing employment fraud and enhancing safety. When identity verification was performed as part of the employment process, early adopters discovered an average of 45% more criminal results across 110K background checks.With over 100M verified Americans being a part of the ID.me Digital Identity Network, over a third of job candidates have already confirmed their identity with ID.me, making it simple for Sterling’s clients to enable identity verification at the outset of the screening process.

The ID.me and Sterling identity offering received Kantara’s Trustmark for Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2) in May 2023, making it the first omnichannel solution to meet federal digital identity standards. It is issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This certification enables federal, state, and local administrations in the United States to provide omnichannel, NIST-compliant identity verification access via the ID.me and Sterling solutions.

Blake Hall, founder and chief executive officer of ID.me, stated that the client experience is central to the company’s mission. Customers and clients benefit most when they have confidence that access and optionality are addressed in tandem with the utmost privacy and security standards. Our commitment to these standards has reached new heights due to our partnership with Sterling and our shared vision.

ID.me and Sterling are collaborating to introduce new offerings over the next few months and years, including expanded solutions to help companies combat interview fraud and expedite I-9 document verification.

Performance of accurate background checks requires identification accuracy. According to Josh Peirez, chief executive officer of Sterling, identity is the foundation of any trust and security program. He mentioned that they are ecstatic to extend their exclusive partnership with ID.me and to continue providing identity-first solutions to our clients alongside them.

The partnership between Sterling and ID.me is expected to continue to pave the way by modernizing and simplifying an identity-first approach for clients, as more companies require identity verification as a standard part of their hiring procedures.