Guide
Ask buyers for a phone or ID check before they pay
Require a verified phone, or an ID checked by PerfectPal, before a buyer's first card payment on a request.
To know more about who you're dealing with, you can ask buyers for a check before their first card payment on a request.
Turn it on
Money › Payments › Before the first payment, under Buyers need:
- Nothing extra
- A verified phone: the buyer gets a text code. Takes a minute.
- An ID checked by PerfectPal: staff review the buyer's ID, which can take a few days.
Only the account owner can change this.
How it works
- It applies to the buyer's first card payment on a request: a deposit, a balance, paying in full or any other payment. Once anything is paid on the request (by card or recorded, even if later refunded), later payments on it don't ask.
- Until the buyer has the check, checkout and paying in full refuse, and the buyer is told what to do.
- Buy-now orders never ask.
- You never see the buyer's phone number or documents: only the badge ("Phone verified", "ID checked by PerfectPal") on their buyer card.
If you choose an ID check, tell buyers early, since staff review can take a few days.
Updated October 19, 2026
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