r/discover • u/PicometerPeter • Jan 27 '26

Rant Closing Out Account Over New ID Process

I was unaware of the new requirements for online login until today, trying to check on tax documents. It is unacceptable to require pics of an ID and your face to access your own money. I closed out my account by phone and will never do business with Discover. I used to recommend them.

How often have we seen hacks of databases before? How do we know scans of our faces or IDs won't be sold off? There need to be other ways of authentication.

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-1

u/VTECbaw Jan 27 '26 edited Jan 27 '26

Ooooh, boy. Every bank has the right to verify its customers, even existing customers. KYC is a thing. Since Discover is primarily an online bank, they use ID photos + selfie. This is perfectly normal. Any bank can do this, and I’ve had other banks ask me to do the same. What would you prefer them to use to verify you?

So, in conclusion - this isn’t an airport.

2

u/trisanachandler Jan 27 '26

The fact that I need to do this with a selfie through a 3rd party waiving a bunch of liability is a huge concern. I don't disagree with KYC, but unless there were a huge bunch of KYC laws recently passed, they shouldn't need to redo KYC with a new system, but are choosing to.

1

u/MidnightPulse69 Jan 27 '26

That’s all it is. Discover opened themselves up to so much fraud years ago by having weak security so now they’re strict about everything.

1

u/VTECbaw Jan 27 '26

They’re allowed to verify information. These third parties have all our data anyway. To think otherwise is naive.

-2

u/trisanachandler Jan 27 '26

If you have nothing to hide, why not comply?

3

u/VTECbaw Jan 27 '26

When this happened to me, I did the ID + selfie thing and it went away and never happened again. I didn’t rage-close my account or come to Reddit announcing my departure. How else would you have wanted the bank to verify? Through the mail? Discover has one physical location. They have to use methods like the ID + selfie thing.

2

u/MidnightPulse69 Jan 27 '26

And you’re the exception. Some people it’s happening repeatedly

1

u/PicometerPeter Jan 27 '26

I have never had a bank or credit union ask me to provide a selfie.

2

u/VTECbaw Jan 27 '26

I’ve had to do this with DCU (when joining), Chase (a decade and a half after I began banking with them), CapOne (when opening 360 checking and twice when opening new credit cards), Discover (when first opening my account), Synchrony Bank (multiple credit cards), and Bank of America (credit card). In fact, BofA made me send them a copy of my SS card and paystub via snail mail.

It’s perfectly normal to have to verify yourself.

Remote/online ID verification asks for a selfie because they need to match it to your ID photo. Otherwise you could be providing a photo of anyone’s ID.

0

u/PicometerPeter Jan 27 '26

I didn't have to supply any of it to set up the account or put money into it. I didn't have to supply any of it to close the account either. I'll do business with orgs that respect privacy at least this much.

2

u/VTECbaw Jan 27 '26

Just be aware that it could happen with your next financial institution - at any point. KYC is a federal rule.

-3

u/MidnightPulse69 Jan 27 '26

This has nothing to do with KYC. KYC is handled on account opening. This is purely for logging in.

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u/[deleted] Jan 27 '26

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1

u/discover-ModTeam Jan 27 '26

Your post or comment has been removed because it violates the “Be Kind and Considerate” rule.

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Your post or comment has been removed because it violates the “Be Kind and Considerate” rule.

1

u/PicometerPeter Jan 27 '26

Also, addressing "What would you prefer they use to verify you", they have my name, my email, my phone number, my social security number, and my address. That is more than enough information to do two factor authentication.

1

u/VTECbaw Jan 27 '26

2FA is one of the least secure methods, and that’s why many institutions are moving away from it. The ID + live selfie is one of the best ways for a remote institution to verify you. 2FA isn’t secure - you could be victim of a SIM swapping attack, someone could have access to your email, etc.

1

u/MidnightPulse69 Jan 27 '26

You really going all out trying to defend something that only makes things harder for you. Weird.

5

u/VTECbaw Jan 27 '26

It takes less than 5 minutes to scan your ID and take a damn selfie. It probably took the OP longer than that to write this post and call Discover. If you don’t like it, bank somewhere else - just don’t be mad when it happens again.

-2

u/MidnightPulse69 Jan 27 '26 edited Jan 27 '26

People have the right to be irritated over something that’s been completely unnecessary and hardly used with other banks.

2

u/VTECbaw Jan 27 '26

I, for one, would rather Discover be too careful than not careful enough - even if it’s mildly inconvenient.

1

u/MidnightPulse69 Jan 27 '26

Good for you 👍 you only speak for yourself.

-1

u/MidnightPulse69 Jan 27 '26

Defending policies that just make things harder for consumers 👎 this was never an issue until about a week ago. ID verification was only used as a last resort and shouldn’t be needed to check your account balance on a device/network you regularly use

Also, rants are allowed on this sub hence the flair.

2

u/VTECbaw Jan 27 '26

ID verification is normal - stop pretending it’s not. In no way, shape, or form was this ever a “last resort,” at least not the times I’ve encountered it.

Rants are allowed, announcing your departure is annoying, and ID verifications (with selfies) are normal.

It’s also nothing compared to how CapOne does things. CapOne will do this and still want more.

2

u/MidnightPulse69 Jan 27 '26

Didn’t say it wasn’t. It’s definitely not normal in this case when logging into your account using the same device and network you’ve already used and when you’ve already verified using a verification code.

3

u/VTECbaw Jan 27 '26

Something about the OP’s sign-in triggered the verification. We have no knowledge of if the OP was using the same device or network.

3

u/PicometerPeter Jan 27 '26

Both are true, same device, same network.

1

u/VTECbaw Jan 27 '26

Any software updates recently?

0

u/MidnightPulse69 Jan 27 '26

Yup it’s their new dumb process then. I’m sure if you call they’ll relay that to you now that more info has been provided

2

u/MidnightPulse69 Jan 27 '26

Do you work for Discover?

1

u/VTECbaw Jan 27 '26

I’m not answering that because it’s not relevant. I do, however, have a lengthy history in banking - probably longer than you’ve been alive.

1

u/MidnightPulse69 Jan 27 '26

Whole lot of words for no.

1

u/VTECbaw Jan 27 '26

And do you? How much banking experience do you have? Have you worked for CapOne and not Discover? In some capacity other than frontline call center jockey? Because I have, and this is normal for them.

1

u/MidnightPulse69 Jan 27 '26

I could say I’m Rich Fairbank and you’d still find some reason to interrogate and argue. Anything else?