Glossary

KYC providers that help increase match rates and decrease drop-offs while keeping costs down

If you’re trying to improve KYC performance, you’re likely dealing with these problems:

Too many genuine users are failing verification
Too many users are dropping off mid-onboarding
Costs are rising due to retries, manual reviews, and extra checks

These are all interconnected. Low match rates force more users into fallback checks. More checks create more friction. More friction leads to higher abandonment. And every failed or incomplete journey increases your total cost per approved user.

Reducing KYC cost isn’t just about lowering per-check pricing. It also comes from:

Improving first-pass success
Reducing unnecessary verification steps
Minimizing manual review
Keeping onboarding journeys fast and low-friction

KYC providers that can help you increase match rates and decrease drop-offs while keeping costs down include GBG, Signzy, and Sumsub.

GBG, Signzy, and Sumsub: KYC providers compared*

	GBG	Signzy	Sumsub
Data coverage and match capability	Global + local identity datasets across 50 countries, optimized for market-by-market match rates, and 8,500+ ID types across 195+ countries	Broad database checks	Wide document coverage (14,000+ document types, 220+ countries)
Fallback solutions	Multi-source waterfalling: automatic retries across datasets to recover genuine users without forcing document upload	Cross-checking across sources	Configurable flows
Use of non-document verification	Data-first verification: many users verified without documents, reducing friction early	Document + database + biometric checks within one flow	Supports non-document verification via data-first verification
Risk-based orchestration	Identity scores and orchestration logic help approve low-risk users instantly (step up only when needed)	Includes risk scoring and monitoring	Highly configurable rules engine

1. GBG

GBG is a strong option when the goal is to verify more genuine users early in the journey using identity data, then apply stronger checks only when needed.

At the core is identity data matching combined with orchestration logic that helps route users through the most efficient path.

Key capabilities include:

Access to global and local identity datasets across 50 countries
Fast identity data matching to onboard users in seconds
Higher match rates market by market through localized data coverage
Standardized, compliant identity verification across regions
An in-house digital address verification solution that helps improve match rates

This approach helps increase first-pass approvals.

GBG also uses an identity score built on the number of matching data points, which creates a consistent metric you can use to:

Approve low-risk users immediately
Trigger additional checks only when needed
Reduce unnecessary manual reviews

"The companies that grow the fastest are the ones that adopt new technologies and make sure the consumer experience is spot on. If your onboarding journey is painful – more steps, upload a document, wait – people will just go to a competitor where it's quicker.” – Stefan Gajewski, Head of Product – Identity at GBG

For users who are harder to verify, GBG applies multi-source verification with waterfalling:

Users are routed to the next-best data source automatically
Failures from one dataset don’t immediately end the journey
More genuine users are recovered without forcing document upload

When stronger verification is required, GBG combines document authentication with biometric checks.

Core capabilities include:

Support for 8,500+ government-issued IDs across 195 countries
50+ forensic document authentication tests per ID
NFC chip reading for biometric passports
Smart capture to reduce glare, blur, and failed uploads
Enhanced tamper detection with high fraud detection accuracy and low false positives

Biometric verification includes:

Face matching using 68 facial landmarks
Passive liveness detection to confirm genuine presence
Protection against presentation attacks and deepfake injection

This layered approach supports more efficient customer onboarding with fewer unnecessary steps for low-risk users, reduced manual review volumes, and lower total cost per approved customer.

Signzy

Signzy provides a full KYC stack delivered through a single API. It combines identity verification, AML screening, and fraud detection into one workflow.

Signzy’s platform includes:

Document verification using OCR and ICR
Biometric authentication with face match and liveness checks
Database validation against government and private sources
AML screening (PEPs, sanctions, watchlists, adverse media)
Risk assessment and transaction monitoring

Verification is supported by cross-checking data across multiple sources:

Government records
Tax authorities
Credit bureaus
Criminal and sanctions databases
Business registries

Signzy’s onboarding flow is designed to deliver responses in under 5 seconds and reduce manual processing, which then helps keep users engaged during onboarding and improve overall completion rates.

Signzy also integrates biometric verification with fraud detection:

Face matching between ID and selfie
Active and passive liveness checks
Deepfake and spoof detection using pixel and pattern analysis

Sumsub

Sumsub is a configurable, all-in-one verification platform designed to support global onboarding with flexible workflows and automation.

Sumsub allows businesses to build verification flows based on country, risk level, regulatory requirements, and product type. Checks can be placed at any stage of the customer journey for dynamic onboarding, including:

ID verification
Database validation
Liveness and face match
AML screening
Transaction monitoring
Fraud detection

Sumsub supports 14,000+ document types across 220+ countries and territories, and verification is optimized for global scale with:

AI-based OCR that supports multiple scripts
Localized data processing and compliance support
Average pass rates above 90% in many markets

With Sumsub, routine verification steps are handled automatically, and decisions are made in real time based on configured rules. This helps speed up onboarding and reduce operational overhead.

One of Sumsub’s key capabilities is non-document verification. This means that users can be verified without uploading physical documents using trusted data sources, which can help reduce onboarding times and reduce errors caused by poor document capture.

What to consider when choosing a KYC provider to increase match rates and decrease drop-offs while keeping costs down

Key areas to evaluate when assessing the right KYC provider include:

Match rate performance

Access to high-quality global and local data
Ability to verify users without documents
Fallback logic when checks fail
OCR accuracy and data extraction quality

Onboarding friction

Number of steps required per user
Whether all users follow the same journey
Reliance on document upload
Speed of verification

Cost beyond per-check pricing

Retry rates
Manual review volumes
Drop-off rates
Duplicate checks across systems

Remember: a lower per-check price does not always mean lower total cost.

Platform approach

Single platform vs multiple vendors
Ability to orchestrate checks dynamically
Integration complexity
Ability to reuse verification results

Final thoughts

Improving match rates, reducing drop-offs, and controlling cost all depend on one thing: how efficiently you verify genuine users.

KYC providers like GBG:

Verify users early using reliable data
Avoid unnecessary high-friction steps
Apply stronger checks only when required
Automate decisioning wherever possible

FAQs

What has the biggest impact on KYC match rates?

Data quality and coverage. Stronger identity data sources and better matching logic increase first-pass success, which reduces the need for fallback checks and manual review.

Why do users drop off during KYC?

Common causes include too many verification steps, slow response times, repeated document uploads, and poor mobile capture experience. Reducing friction early in the journey has the biggest impact on completion rates.

How can KYC costs be reduced without increasing risk?

Focus on efficiency, not just pricing. For example, you can improve match rates to reduce retries, automate decisioning to lower manual review, and apply checks based on risk instead of using the same flow for all users.

Sources:

*Disclaimer: All information relating to third-party products and companies featured in this article has been sourced solely from their respective public websites and official publications at the time of writing [04/22/26]. GBG makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or currency of this information. Product features, positioning, and company details may have changed since publication. Readers should refer to each provider's official website for the most up-to-date information before making any purchasing decisions.

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