MCLEAN, Virginia and SAN FRANCISCO — Sept. 15, 2026
Executive Summary
ID.me and Plaid have announced a partnership that enables government agencies to verify both a benefit claimant’s identity and the financial account receiving a payment within one experience. ID.me verifies the individual, while Plaid verifies the associated bank account. The companies stated that the integration is designed to support faster direct-deposit enrollment, stronger payment integrity, broader financial-institution coverage and clearer records for government benefit disbursements.
Announcement Overview
The partnership combines ID.me’s digital identity wallet with Plaid’s financial account verification capabilities, allowing agencies to confirm that a bank account belongs to the verified recipient before funds are released. ID.me and Plaid stated that the approach is intended for state and federal agencies seeking to consolidate legacy capabilities, reduce technical duplication and improve citizen access. Eligible claimants can link a financial account within the existing enrollment flow, while agencies can continue using their current payment processor. The companies also highlighted consent, user control, auditability and broader coverage across banks, credit unions and digital-first financial institutions.
Key Announcement Details
- Announcement Type: Partnership
- Announcing Entities: ID.me and Plaid
- Announcement Date: September 15, 2026
- Dateline: MCLEAN, Virginia and SAN FRANCISCO
- Primary Development: Government benefit payment verification partnership
- Identity Verification: ID.me
- Bank Account Verification: Plaid
- Primary Purpose: Verify recipients and payment accounts before disbursement
- Target Market: State and federal government agencies
- Direct Deposit: Enrollment within the existing recipient flow
- Key Benefit: Faster, more secure benefit payments
- Coverage: Regional banks, credit unions and digital-first institutions
- Compliance Support: Dated verification and payment records
- User Control: Recipient-authorized financial account connection
Partnership Connects Identity and Financial Account Verification
ID.me and Plaid stated that their partnership addresses two connected elements of government benefit payments: verifying who is requesting a benefit and confirming where the payment is being sent.
Under the integrated approach:
- ID.me verifies the person requesting the benefit.
- Plaid verifies the associated bank account receiving the payment.
- Agencies can check that the account belongs to the verified recipient before funds move.
- Eligible claimants can complete direct-deposit enrollment within the existing flow.
- Agencies can continue disbursing payments through the processor they use today.
The companies stated that the combined capabilities are designed to give agencies a more connected process for identity and payment-account verification.
Supporting State and Federal Agencies
The partnership is intended to support both state and federal agencies as they consolidate legacy capabilities, reduce technical duplication and improve access for citizens.
ID.me and Plaid stated that agencies have invested substantially in identity verification, while processes for confirming the destination of benefit payments have historically involved separate capabilities.
The announcement pointed to unemployment insurance improper payments of $5.6 billion in fiscal year 2025, representing a 14.9% rate and the fourth consecutive year above the federal standard, according to the Government Accountability Office.
Faster Financial Account Confirmation
The companies stated that traditional bank-detail confirmation can involve paper-based documentation and manual review, including mailed voided checks or financial-institution review queues.
According to the announcement, these processes can take days to weeks and create additional opportunities for fraud, waste and abuse while agencies work to verify payment details.
Through the partnership, recipients can link their financial account within the benefit flow they are already completing. Eligible claimants can enroll in direct deposit in minutes, while agencies continue using their existing payment processor.
Company Commentary
Blake Hall, Founder and CEO of ID.me, stated:
“Identity verification tells an agency who is asking to be paid, but it does not tell them where the money is going,”
Hall added:
“That gap is where benefits go missing, and it’s costing our government and everyday Americans billions of dollars. Through our partnership with Plaid, agencies would be able to confirm the account belongs to the verified person before a dollar moves, and eligible people get paid faster.”
Eric Sager of Plaid stated:
“For too long, getting benefits to the people who qualify for them has meant a slow, manual process that fraudsters have learned to exploit. Agencies have gotten very good at confirming who someone is. What’s been missing is the same confidence about where the money actually lands,”
Sager added:
“By partnering with ID.me, we’re closing that gap so eligible people get paid in minutes, and every dollar reaches the person it was meant for.”
Key Capabilities for Government Agencies
By integrating their services, ID.me and Plaid stated that agencies can access several capabilities:
- One continuous experience: Recipients verify through ID.me and securely link their bank account within the same flow, with no bank statements to upload and no need to wait for a caseworker to contact a financial institution.
- Verification before payment: Account-ownership information comes from the recipient’s own financial institution at the time of the check and is matched against the verified identity before funds are released.
- Expanded coverage: The partnership reaches regional banks, credit unions and digital-first institutions that static databases may cover less effectively.
- A defensible record: Agencies receive one dated record of who was verified and which account was paid, supporting audit and federal compliance requirements.
- Consent and user control: Recipients securely authorize the bank connection themselves, with information sharing limited to what the verification requires. Account credentials and transaction history do not move to an agency.
Identity Verification Through ID.me
ID.me stated that its digital identity wallet allows individuals to securely prove their identity online and use that verified identity to sign in across websites without repeatedly creating a new sign-in and completing identity verification.
The company stated that more than 170 million users experience streamlined sign-in and identity verification with ID.me across:
- 22 federal agencies
- 50 state government agencies
- More than 85 healthcare organizations
More than 600 consumer brands also use ID.me to verify communities and user segments for purposes including honoring service and building relationships.
ID.me stated that its technology meets federal consumer-authentication standards established by the Commerce Department and is approved as a NIST 800-63-3 IAL2 / AAL2 credential service provider by the Kantara Initiative. Its stated commitment is “No Identity Left Behind”, focused on broad access to secure digital identity.
Plaid’s Financial Data Network
Plaid stated that it operates a global data network supporting financial tools used by millions of people and works with thousands of companies, including fintechs, Fortune 500 companies and major banks.
The company stated that its network connects more than:
- 12,000 financial institutions
- 9,000 apps and services
- Markets across the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Europe
Plaid stated that its ambition includes building a more inclusive, competitive and mutually beneficial financial system through simplified payments, lending innovation and fraud prevention.
About ID.me
ID.me is a digital identity wallet designed to simplify how individuals securely prove their identity online. The company stated that consumers can verify their identity once and use ID.me to sign in across websites without creating a new sign-in and repeating identity verification.
- 170+ million users experience streamlined sign-in and identity verification through ID.me.
- 22 federal agencies and 50 state government agencies use ID.me.
- 85+ healthcare organizations use the platform.
- 600+ consumer brands use ID.me to verify communities and user segments.
- Its technology meets federal consumer-authentication standards established by the U.S. Commerce Department.
- ID.me is approved by the Kantara Initiative as a NIST 800-63-3 IAL2 / AAL2 credential service provider.
ID.me stated that its commitment is “No Identity Left Behind,” supporting broad access to a secure digital identity.
About Plaid
Plaid is a global data network supporting financial tools used by millions of people. Plaid stated that its ambition is to contribute to a more inclusive and competitive financial system by simplifying payments, advancing lending and combating fraud.
The company works with thousands of companies, including fintechs, Fortune 500 companies and major banks, providing people with greater choice and control over how they manage their finances. Headquartered in San Francisco, Plaid’s network spans more than 12,000 financial institutions and 9,000 apps and services across the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Europe
Media Contact
For additional information, visit ID.me.
Source Attribution
Source: Company announcement
