Verify your identity
After you complete checkout, Ody asks you to verify your identity — a photo of a government ID plus a live selfie — before your workspace and phone number go live. The check is the same whether you signed up on the web or bought a plan through the iPhone App Store.
This is a required, one-time check per workspace. It exists to comply with carrier anti-spam rules, and it takes about a minute.
On the web
After your payment (or trial card check) succeeds, you land on the welcome page. Click Verify your identity to get started.
Verification opens right in the page (secured by Stripe Identity). Follow the prompts: photograph your government ID, then take a live selfie. On a desktop without a camera, you can hand off to your phone with a QR code.
When you submit, the page moves to one last check — Confirm your mobile number — where Ody texts a 6-digit code to your mobile (details). Once that's verified you'll see Congrats, you're all set; click Get started to enter the app. Review runs asynchronously — "in review" counts as done, and the result lands automatically while you carry on.
If the check opens in a separate page instead of inside Ody (this happens on some browsers), you're brought back to the same all-set screen when you finish.
If you leave the welcome page without verifying, the app shows the Verify your identity screen instead of your workspace — click Verify with Stripe there to run the same check. You can also re-verify later from Settings → Numbers (the identity verification card).
On the iPhone app (App Store or web checkout)
- After you subscribe (App Store sheet or Safari checkout), Ody checks whether identity is still needed, then opens identity verification in Safari.
- Complete the ID photo and selfie in the browser, then return to Ody. If the app doesn't advance automatically, tap I've finished verification. If Safari closed early, tap Open verification again.
- Next you confirm (or switch) your reserved business number, then activate it — your workspace opens after that.
Closing Safari mid-check is fine: open the Ody app again and setup resumes at identity verification — you are not stuck on "confirm your number" without a way to finish.
During a free trial
Verification is what lets your trial convert. While it's pending:
- We email you a few reminders across the 7 days — the first about an hour after your trial starts, then on days 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6. They stop as soon as you submit your ID (the Verify button in each one opens the app, which takes you straight to the check). You may also get a short personal thread from our subscriptions team (weekday daytime) if verification is still open after the first day — usually two follow-ups in the same conversation, same link into the app.
- If the check still isn't submitted one hour before the trial ends, Ody closes the trial automatically and your card is not charged. You'll get an email confirming that nothing was billed. Your account and settings stay — pick a plan again whenever you're ready and verify to keep the new trial.
See How the free trial works for the full trial timeline.
Before you start (for teammates)
Only workspace owners and admins can run the verification. If you're a member, you'll see a note that the owner needs to complete it — you get access automatically once they do.
Eligibility
Ody is built for businesses in supported regions (Supported countries). The identity check confirms who you are and that the government ID matches those eligibility rules. If it doesn't, the workspace is closed at that step — you won't be asked for a mobile code, and the workspace can't be reopened from the app or by support lifting a temporary hold.
Troubleshooting
- "The identity check wasn't completed" (web) — the window was closed before submitting. Click Verify with Stripe and finish the flow; verification is the only way forward.
- I left Safari during the iPhone check — reopen the Ody app. You'll see the identity step again; use Open verification again if you need a fresh session.
- The check failed or needs another attempt — re-run it from the identity screen (web: Settings → Numbers). Make sure the ID is well-lit and the selfie is captured live (photos of photos are rejected).
- Workspace closed / "isn't eligible" after submitting ID — the account isn't eligible to use Ody. This isn't a temporary review hold and can't be turned back on from Settings. Email [email protected] only if your business is based in a supported region and you used the wrong document by mistake.
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Frequently asked questions
Why does a phone service need my ID?
Carrier anti-spam rules require it — verifying who operates each number keeps Ody's numbers trusted and out of spam filters. It's required once per workspace.
Does Ody store my ID or selfie?
No. The check is handled end-to-end by a secure identity provider; Ody never stores your ID.
My check says it's in review — can I use the app?
Yes — if your account is eligible. Submitting is enough for review; you continue to the mobile confirmation step while it finishes. If your account isn't eligible to use Ody, setup stops and the workspace stays closed.
I subscribed on the iPhone app but never finished identity — what now?
Open the Ody app again. Setup resumes at identity verification (Safari). Tap I've finished verification when you're done, or Open verification again if you need to restart.
What happens if I don't verify during my free trial?
Your trial is closed automatically one hour before it ends and your card is never charged. You'll get an email confirming it; you can start a new trial any time and verify then.
My workspace closed right after I submitted my ID — what happened?
Ody only serves eligible regions. If the government ID you used isn't eligible for an Ody account, the workspace is closed and can't be reopened. See Supported countries, or email [email protected] if you believe this was a mistake about your business location (not the ID itself).