Getting verified
Verification is a person at PrintFlows confirming you're who you say you are. It's one of the four things standing between you and your first request.
Why it exists
Customers send strangers their money and their files. Before we let anyone receive either, we check that there's a real, identifiable person or business behind the shop.
It is not a quality certification and we don't advertise it as one. It means we checked identity. Quality shows up in your reviews.
What to send
Government photo ID. Driver's licence, passport or provincial ID card. Unexpired, with the name and photo readable. A photo of the physical card is fine. A screenshot of a scan is usually too compressed.
Proof of address. A utility bill or bank statement from the last three months with your name and address. You can black out the account numbers and the amounts. We're looking at the name and the address.
Business registration, if you're printing under a registered business name. NEQ in Québec, or the equivalent elsewhere.
A photo of something you've printed: optional, and it moves things along. A part on your own bed, ideally with the machine visible.
What we check
- The ID is readable and hasn't expired.
- The name matches the name on your Stripe account. This is the one that trips people up: if Stripe says "Jean Tremblay" and the ID says "Jean-Pierre Tremblay", we'll come back and ask.
- The address is in the province your profile says.
- The business registration is current, if you gave one.
- The sample print looks like your work, not a stock photo.
How long
Usually a few business days. We email you either way. Do the other three checklist steps while you wait: Stripe often takes longer than we do.
If we ask for changes
We'll tell you exactly what to fix, in plain words. Common reasons: a blurry photo, an expired card, a name mismatch with Stripe, a bill older than three months, or the address not matching the province on the profile.
Fix it and submit again. No limit on attempts, no penalty for a second try. If you can't work out what we're asking for, reply to the email and a person will explain.
Stripe is separate
Stripe runs its own identity check on the connected account and asks for its own documents. That's their process, not ours, and it's how your banking details reach them without passing through us.
You need both: Stripe with charges and payouts enabled, and PrintFlows verification approved. One without the other means requests still don't reach you. The checklist on your dashboard shows which one you're waiting on.
What happens to the documents
They're used for verification and nothing else, kept encrypted, and deleted within 90 days of a decision. We keep the decision itself, not the ID. See the privacy policy.
Losing verification
We can withdraw it if what we relied on turns out to be wrong: a document that wasn't yours, a business registration that had lapsed. Requests stop immediately. We'll email you and you can respond.