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Verification Modes

SafePassage offers two biometric verification modes to balance compliance with user experience.

Quick Comparison​

ModeID RequiredBest For
L1Only if estimated below challenge ageEntertainment, gaming, social media
L2AlwaysRegulated industries, high compliance

L1 - Biometric Age Estimation with ID Fallback​

Uses advanced facial analysis and AI to estimate age from real-time video capture. Only requires ID if the user appears younger than your challenge age.

How it works:

  • Real-time face detection with comprehensive biometric analysis
  • AI-powered liveness detection to prevent spoofing
  • Age estimation from biometric features
  • Automatic ID fallback for younger-appearing users

Flow:

  1. Camera permission and real-time video capture
  2. Face detection with liveness verification
  3. AI estimates age from facial biometrics
  4. Pass if estimated ≥ challenge age
  5. Request ID + face matching if estimated < challenge age

Use Cases:

  • Lower-risk content
  • Optimizing conversion rates
  • Markets allowing age estimation

L2 - Universal ID Verification with Biometric Matching​

Requires government ID for all users, regardless of appearance. Includes biometric face matching between the live capture and ID photo.

How it works:

  • Real-time face detection with liveness verification
  • Government ID capture and OCR extraction
  • Biometric face matching between selfie and ID photo
  • Age verification from official document

Flow:

  1. Camera permission and real-time video capture
  2. Face detection with liveness verification
  3. Government ID capture and processing
  4. OCR extraction of ID data and age
  5. Biometric face matching between video and ID
  6. Pass if age ≥ challenge age AND faces match

Use Cases:

  • Alcohol, tobacco, cannabis
  • Gambling, adult content
  • Maximum compliance requirements

Configuration​

Dashboard Default​

Set your default mode in Dashboard > Configuration:

  • Choose L1 or L2
  • Set challenge age (25-99)

Per-Session Override​

You can override defaults either client-side or server-side:

Client-side SDK (publishable key)

const sdk = new SafePassage({
  apiKey: 'pk_your_public_key',
  returnUrl: 'https://example.com/done'
});

// Override mode and/or challengeAge per verification
sdk.verify({
  verificationMode: 'L1',
  challengeAge: 25  // Useful for regional compliance
});

Server-side API (secret key) — Recommended

const secretKey = 'sk_your_secret_key';

const response = await fetch('https://api.safepassageapp.com/api/v1/sessions/create', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': `Bearer ${secretKey}`,
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    returnUrl: 'https://example.com/done',
    verificationMode: 'L2',
    challengeAge: 25
  })
});
Server-Side Is Recommended

While challengeAge and verificationMode can be set client-side (useful for detecting user location for regional compliance), server-side is recommended for security-critical applications. Server-controlled parameters cannot be tampered with by end users.

Choosing a Mode​

Start with L2 if:

  • Industry regulations require ID
  • Zero tolerance for underage access
  • Unsure about compliance requirements

Consider L1 if:

  • Lower-risk content
  • User experience is critical
  • Regulations allow age estimation

Remember: You can always change modes or use different modes for different products.