eKYC Pricing Philippines: Cost per Identity Check

eKYC pricing in the Philippines is usually quoted per verification, and the price depends on which checks run in each session: document capture and OCR, a government database lookup such as PhilSys, a face match, and liveness detection. The headline rate is only part of the cost, because retries, manual reviews, and integration work also add up. So the best way to compare vendors is to price one complete onboarding, not one API call.

How eKYC Pricing Works in the Philippines

Typically, eKYC providers charge per transaction. In other words, you pay each time a customer goes through a verification step, whether that step passes or fails. Some vendors bundle several checks into one price per onboarding, while others price every check separately.

Still, the difference matters more than it looks. For example, a vendor that charges a low rate per face match may still cost more in total if it bills separately for OCR, liveness, and each government lookup. That is why procurement teams should always ask for a price per completed onboarding flow. Price is also only one buying criterion, and our comparison of KYC solutions covers the rest.

What Drives the Cost per Check

Each layer of an eKYC flow has its own cost. Therefore, the final price depends on how many layers your risk policy requires.

Check	What it does	Why it affects price
Document capture and OCR	Reads data from a PhilID, driver’s license, UMID or passport	Usually the cheapest layer, but needed in almost every flow
Government database lookup	Confirms the ID details against an official record, such as PhilSys, LTO, SSS or NBI	Often carries a pass-through cost from the data source
Face match (1:1)	Scores how closely the selfie resembles the portrait on the card	Priced per comparison
Liveness detection	Proves the selfie comes from someone in front of the camera, not a printout or a replayed video	Higher for active checks or SDK-based capture
Watchlist screening	Checks names against PEP and sanctions data	Priced per search, plus ongoing monitoring

However, not every customer needs every layer. Under BSP rules, institutions can apply tiered due diligence, so a low-limit wallet account may need fewer checks than a loan or a high-value account. Our explainer on BSP KYC requirements covers how those tiers work.

Common eKYC Pricing Models

Vendors in the Philippines tend to use one of four models. Each one, in turn, suits a different stage of growth.

Model	How it works	Best for	Watch out for
Pay-as-you-go	You pay per check, billed after use	Startups and new products with uncertain volume	Higher unit rates than committed plans
Volume tiers	The unit price drops as monthly volume grows	Growing fintechs and lenders	Whether tiers reset each month
Minimum commitment	You commit to a monthly spend in exchange for a lower rate	Banks and large platforms with steady volume	Paying for unused volume in slow months
On-premise or license	A fixed fee for software installed in your own infrastructure	Institutions with strict data residency needs	Hardware, maintenance, and upgrade costs

In practice, many institutions start on pay-as-you-go and then move to tiers once volume becomes predictable. So it helps to ask early how a vendor handles that move.

Hidden Costs to Watch

The unit price rarely tells the whole story. In fact, several costs only appear after go-live.

• Failed checks and retries. If customers retake blurry photos three times, you may pay for three checks. Good capture guidance lowers this cost.
• Manual review. Every case that falls to a human reviewer costs staff time. A high false rejection rate quietly raises your real cost per customer.
• Integration effort. Developer time spent on SDKs, error handling, and testing is a one-off cost, yet it can exceed months of usage fees.
• Customer drop-off. A slow or confusing flow loses customers. That lost revenue is a cost, even though no invoice shows it.
• Fraud losses. A cheaper flow without liveness can invite identity fraud, and one fraudulent loan can cost more than thousands of checks.

How to Compare eKYC Quotes Like for Like

Quotes from different vendors are hard to compare because each one bundles checks differently. However, a simple method makes them comparable.

1. Define one standard onboarding. For instance, PhilID capture, PhilSys lookup, face match, and passive liveness.
2. Ask each vendor to price that exact flow. Request the total per completed onboarding, not a list of unit rates.
3. Add expected retries. Ask what share of sessions need a second attempt, and include that in the price.
4. Estimate manual review. Multiply the expected review rate by your cost per reviewed case.
5. Add integration and support. Include setup fees, SDK licenses, and support plans.
6. Run a pilot with real Philippine IDs. Then compare actual pass rates, not brochure figures.

This method also exposes vendors that look cheap on paper but fail often on worn cards or low-end phones. The same evaluation logic applies when you verify Philippine IDs online at scale.

A Simple Formula for Your True Cost per Customer

Once you have quotes, put them into one formula. Then the comparison becomes a matter of arithmetic rather than sales talk.

True cost per onboarded customer = (price per attempt × average attempts) + (review rate × cost per manual review) + (integration and support costs ÷ expected customers in year one)

For example, imagine two vendors. Vendor A charges less per attempt, but customers need an average of 1.8 attempts and one case in five goes to manual review. Vendor B charges more per attempt, yet customers pass in 1.2 attempts and only a few cases reach a reviewer. On paper, Vendor A looks cheaper. In practice, Vendor B often costs less per onboarded customer, and it also loses fewer applicants along the way.

So plug in your own pilot numbers rather than vendor estimates. Real pass rates on Philippine IDs, especially older or worn cards, decide which quote is actually lower.

Pricing Questions to Ask Every eKYC Vendor

Before you sign, send the same list of questions to each shortlisted provider. Their answers reveal costs that a rate card hides.

1. Do you charge per attempt or per completed verification?
2. Which checks are included in the quoted price, and which are billed separately?
3. Are government lookups such as PhilSys or SSS priced as pass-through costs?
4. How do volume tiers work, and do they reset monthly?
5. Is there a minimum monthly commitment or setup fee?
6. What does support cost, and what response times come with it?
7. Can we run a paid or free pilot with our own customer IDs?
8. What happens to pricing if we move to on-premise deployment later?

Vendors that answer clearly and in writing usually bill clearly too. By contrast, vague answers at this stage tend to become surprise line items later.

Verihubs Pricing Model

Verihubs uses a post-paid, pay-as-you-go model with no upfront investment, so teams pay for verifications they actually run. It also offers on-premise deployment for institutions that need data to stay inside their own environment.

For Philippine onboarding, Verihubs ID Verification checks PhilSys, LTO, SSS, and NBI records against official databases, and it pairs those checks with face match and liveness. Current plans are listed on the Verihubs pricing page, and the sales team can price your exact onboarding flow.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does eKYC cost in the Philippines?

It depends on the checks in each onboarding. A flow with OCR, a PhilSys lookup, face match, and liveness costs more per customer than OCR alone. Ask vendors to price one complete onboarding so quotes are comparable.

Do I pay for failed eKYC checks?

Usually, yes. Most vendors bill per attempt, so retries and failed sessions count. Clear capture guidance and good image quality checks lower this cost.

Is pay-as-you-go or a monthly commitment cheaper?

Pay-as-you-go is safer while volume is uncertain. Once monthly volume is steady, a tier or commitment usually lowers the unit price.

What hidden costs come with eKYC?

The main ones are retries, manual reviews, integration effort, customer drop-off, and fraud losses from weak checks. Together they can matter more than the headline unit rate.

Does Verihubs charge upfront fees?

No. Verihubs uses a post-paid, pay-as-you-go model with no upfront investment, and it also offers on-premise deployment.

The Cheapest eKYC Is the One That Onboards Real Customers Once

A low unit rate means little if customers retry three times, reviewers clear half the queue by hand, or fraudsters slip through. So compare vendors on the full cost of one completed onboarding, including retries, reviews, integration, and fraud risk. Then pilot with real Philippine IDs before you sign, because real pass rates decide the real price.

Need a price for your own onboarding flow? Request a Verihubs quote based on your expected volume.