What is PostIdent? Easily explained
PostIdent is a procedure with which you can quickly and easily identify yourself in a post office. In this practical tip, we explain what the purpose of PostIdent is and how it works.
What is PostIdent: Identification at Deutsche Post
The PostIdent procedure was introduced in order to be able to comply with the Money Laundering Act in a convenient way. The law states that when opening an account, the bank must verify the customer's identity.
- PostIdent enables banks, but also other companies such as mobile operators, to identify their customers without the customer having to be on site.
- Identification is carried out by a postal officer in the branch or directly by the postman.
- The company responsible for the identification bears the costs of the procedure.
PostIdent: This is how the procedure works
The PostIdent procedure can best be explained using the example of online account opening:
- You open an account online as a customer and the bank sends you the documents including a PostIdent coupon with an individual number by post or email.
- With the documents and the coupon, you then go to a post office of your choice and prove your identity by means of a passport or identity card.
- The data will be entered in the coupon, signed by you and a postal worker and returned to the bank.
Types of PostIdent
There are now various types of the PostIdent procedure:
- PostIdent Basic is the classic branch identification described above.
- PostIdent Comfort enables identification directly by the deliverer.
- PostIdent Special is intended for documents. Identification is carried out by the deliverer and important documents are signed by the recipient and returned by the deliverer.
- PostIdent nPA enables online identification with the electronic ID card.
- PostIdent Video is a new way of identification via video chat. Our video shows exactly how this works:
In the next practical tip, we will explain Deutsche Post's payment system: PostPay.