eftpos applies to become first non-govt digital ID exchange operator

eftpos has applied to become the first non-government accredited operator of a digital identity exchange in Australia, as it prepares to set its connectID brokering solution live in June.

The Australian-made electronic payments provider revealed plans to accredit connectID under the trusted digital identity framework (TDIF) during a fintech inquiry hearing on Friday.

“I am pleased to let you know that yesterday we applied to the Digital Transformation Agency to become the first non-government accredited TDIF exchange in Australia,” CEO Stephen Benton said.

The TDIF is a series of policies and standards that underpin the government’s national federated identity model, including the accreditation of government agencies and private sector organisations.

Only the government’s exchange, operated by Services Australia, is currently accredited under TDIF, while the Australian Taxation Office and Australia Post are the only accredited identity providers.

Like the government’s identity exchange, connectID solution acts as a broker between identity providers to allow organisations to verify identity.

It can be used to verify an individuals’ identity for a number of different reasons, including to confirm proof of age, address details or bank account information.

eftpos has been piloting connectID with both Australia Post's Digital iD and the Queensland government credential since mid-2020 following an earlier proof-of-concept with 20 businesses.

It has also picked up a handful of other businesses and “several state governments”, though Benton did not elaborate on who these were.

Benton said eftpos was now expected to go live with connectID in June, which is around seven months later than it originally planned.

He added that eftpos was also “working with the government to ensure its digital identity legislation enables rich use cases across the economy”.