Video KYC Philippines vs Selfie eKYC: Which to Use
Video KYC in the Philippines is a live video call in which bank staff verify a customer’s identity remotely. BSP rules allow technology in place of a face-to-face meeting, provided the bank manages money laundering risk and documents the process. Still, most customers can be verified faster with automated selfie eKYC, so many banks keep video calls for high-risk cases.
What Video KYC Means in a Philippine Bank
In a video KYC session, an agent joins a call with the customer. The customer shows an ID to the camera, answers a few questions, and sometimes moves the card so the agent can check its security features. Afterwards, the agent records the outcome and the session.
Selfie eKYC works differently. There, software reads the ID, checks it against records, confirms a live person, and matches the face without any staff on the line. Our eKYC guide for the Philippines covers that flow from start to finish.
What BSP Rules Allow for Remote Identification
In fact, BSP opened the door to remote identification years ago. Circular 1022, issued in 2018, lets covered institutions use information and communication technology for the face-to-face contact or interview. The condition is that the institution manages money laundering and terrorist financing risk and documents the entire procedure.
Then in 2023, Circular 1170 amended the customer due diligence rules in Section 921 of the bank manual. It set minimum requirements for e-KYC through digital ID systems and recognized PhilSys-enabled e-KYC as acceptable. In other words, a live agent is one valid route, not the only one.
Meanwhile, the national ID strengthens the automated route further. Every BSP-supervised institution must accept all formats of the national ID. For the wider rulebook, see our summary of BSP KYC requirements.
Video KYC vs Selfie eKYC Side by Side
| Factor | Agent-led video KYC | Automated selfie eKYC |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Agent working hours, with queues at peak times | Around the clock |
| Time per customer | Several minutes per call, plus waiting time | Usually a minute or two |
| Cost driver | Agent salaries and call software | Price per check |
| Handling unusual cases | Strong, since a person can ask follow-up questions | Weaker; edge cases go to manual review |
| Consistency | Varies by agent and fatigue | Same rules for every customer |
| Deepfake exposure | Real-time face swaps can fool a tired agent | Liveness and device checks look for injected video |
| Evidence | Call recordings to store and protect | Structured results with timestamps |
Where Video KYC Still Wins
Above all, a person can judge context that software cannot. For example, an agent can talk an elderly customer through a blurry ID, probe an odd answer about the source of funds, or confirm who controls a family business. So video calls suit enhanced due diligence, corporate accounts, and customers who fail the automated route.
Where Selfie eKYC Wins
On the other hand, volume favors automation. A digital bank opening thousands of accounts a day cannot staff enough agents, and customers abandon long queues. Besides, automated checks apply the same thresholds every time, which makes audits easier.
The Deepfake Problem in Video Calls
Many teams assume a live call is the safest option. However, real-time face-swap tools now let a fraudster appear as someone else on camera. So an agent watching a small video window, late in a long shift, may not catch subtle glitches.
Automated checks look for different signals. For instance, liveness detection tests whether the camera sees a real, present face, and device checks look for virtual cameras or emulators feeding fake video. Our piece on how deepfake fraud works explains the attacks in detail. So if you keep video KYC, add automated liveness or deepfake checks to it.
A Hybrid Model Most Banks Use
Few banks pick one method for everyone. Instead, they route customers by risk.
- Automated by default. Most retail customers go through selfie eKYC: an ID record check, a liveness test, and a face match.
- Video for exceptions. Customers who fail automated checks, or whose IDs the system cannot read, get a video call instead of a rejection.
- Video for high risk. Politically exposed persons, large expected deposits, and corporate signatories go to an agent, together with enhanced due diligence.
- Re-check on risky events. Device changes and large transfers trigger a quick selfie check rather than a full call.
As a rule, this mix keeps agent time for the cases that need judgment. Meanwhile, it gives everyone else a fast sign-up. Similarly, rural banks and cooperatives use a lighter version of the same idea, as our guide to digital KYC for rural banks shows.
Where Verihubs Fits in Remote Onboarding
Verihubs does not provide video call software. Rather, it supplies the automated layer that handles most customers and supports your agents on the rest. Its liveness checks that reject replayed or injected video confirm a real, present face. Alongside that, ID record validation for Philippine customers checks submitted details against official data.
Banks that keep video KYC can still run these checks before the call. That way, agents spend their time only on customers who have already passed the basics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does BSP allow video KYC in the Philippines?
Yes. BSP Circular 1022 lets covered institutions use technology for face-to-face contact, as long as they manage money laundering risk and document the whole procedure.
Do banks need video KYC to open accounts online?
No. BSP rules also accept e-KYC through digital ID systems, and many banks verify most customers with selfie eKYC instead of a live call.
Is video KYC safer than selfie eKYC?
Not always. Agents can judge context, but real-time deepfakes can fool them. Automated liveness and device checks catch signals that a person on a call may miss.
When should a bank use video KYC?
Video works best for high-risk customers, corporate signatories, and people who fail automated checks. Most retail customers can use faster selfie eKYC.
Can video KYC and eKYC work together?
Yes. Many banks run automated checks first and send only exceptions or high-risk cases to a video call, which saves agent time.
Choosing Between Video KYC and Selfie eKYC
For Philippine banks, the question is not which method is legal, since BSP allows both. Instead, the question is where human judgment adds value. Use automated selfie eKYC for the majority, keep video calls for high-risk and failed cases, and add liveness checks to every route. That way, customers get speed, agents focus on hard cases, and fraudsters lose the easy target.
Reworking your remote onboarding mix? Compare video and selfie KYC flows with Verihubs before your next launch.
