Simplifying Identity Verification Across Amazon
Proving your identity on Amazon used to be frustrating. Whether buying alcohol or filling a prescription, customers had to leave Amazon's familiar environment and navigate through unfamiliar third-party systems, sometimes even updating their app just to verify who they were. We saw an opportunity to fix this by bringing identity verification in-house, making it as seamless as any other Amazon experience. Now customers can quickly prove who they are and get back to what they came to do.
Role
Lead Sr. UX designer
Amazon, Q2 2023 – Q4 2023
Amazon, Q2 2023 – Q4 2023
Impact
Created Amazon's first unified identity verification system, protecting millions in revenue while maintaining 80% completion rates and reducing Pharmacy related cancellations from 10% to 2%
Understanding the Challenge
Every time customers needed to verify their identity to buy alcohol, fill a prescription, or regain access to their account, they faced an unfamiliar third-party experience. They'd have to grant camera permissions all over again, sometimes even update their app. Behind the scenes, our teams were struggling too. Long integration timelines, no control over the interface, and verification requests duplicated across different services meant we couldn't give customers the experience they deserved.
We saw this as an opportunity to bring identity verification in-house, creating a consistent and trusted experience across retail, healthcare, and business services.
Creating a Unified Solution
I created a pattern that teams could easily plug in to their services, with brand matching, accessibility, language support, and built-in security. We made verification intuitive and quick. Customers enter from their main task, choose their country and ID type, allow camera access and send their ID. The system supports over 200 types of government IDs worldwide, but customers only see what's relevant to their region and task. This global coverage means we can verify identities seamlessly for customers across the world while keeping the experience simple and focused.
Whether using auto-capture for instant verification or uploading a saved image, they're guided every step of the way and quickly returned to what they were doing. It's like having a helpful guide by your side. If the lighting's too dim, we'll suggest using your flash. If the photo's blurry, we'll help you steady your hand. Too much glare? We'll show you how to adjust. Small hints that help you get it right the first time.
When something does go wrong, we explain it in plain language:
"It looks like the photo of your ID was blurry. Make sure the photo is in focus and you can see the entire ID."
"It looks like your ID has expired. You'll need to provide an unexpired ID to verify your identity."
"The country that issued your ID isn't the country you chose. Make sure you chose the correct country and try again."
"It looks like your ID has expired. You'll need to provide an unexpired ID to verify your identity."
"The country that issued your ID isn't the country you chose. Make sure you chose the correct country and try again."
I championed inclusive design from day one. This wasn't just about compliance; it was about creating a truly universal experience that everyone could use, regardless of their abilities. We built in support for screen readers, clear audio instructions, and assistive technologies. Step-by-step instructions use consistent, clear language, and visual guides have high contrast.
Making a difference
"This makes what should be easier, actually easier for patients." – SVP, Health
For Pharmacy customers, ID verification for controlled substances went from being a major hurdle to a minor step, with cancellations dropping from 10% to 2%. We also helped Buyer Risk Prevention protect millions in revenue while making account recovery smoother for legitimate customers.
"Great to see us bring this UI in-house to deliver a better CX and open up our options, congrats team!!" – VP, WW Buyer Risk Prevention
For teams across Amazon, adding identity verification became significantly easier. Instead of weeks of custom development, they could quickly plug into our system and know their customers would get a secure, reliable, and inclusive experience.
Looking forward
Teams can now quickly add verification that's secure, accessible, and familiar to customers. Whether you're picking up medication, buying age-restricted items, or recovering your account, it all works the same way. The system gives teams the flexibility to customize what information to collect, which documents to accept, region-specific guidelines, verification attempt limits, capture methods and allowed devices.
By designing for flexibility, inclusivity, and trust from the start, we've created more than a verification system. We've set a new standard for how Amazon proves identity—one that customers can rely on and teams can build on.
