Individual identity verification
If you are an individual developer, a student, or want to use Alibaba Cloud as an individual, you must complete individual identity verification before you can purchase cloud products. An account that passes individual identity verification is owned by the verified individual.
If you plan to use this account for business purposes, we highly recommend completing enterprise identity verification instead. Using an account with individual verification for business activities can lead to complications with personnel changes, account handovers, or financial disputes.
Before you begin
Before you begin, you need the following:
An active personal Alipay account that has completed identity verification.
You must use the Alipay mobile app for this process, as the web version is not supported.
Identity verification is not available for children under the age of 14.
Procedure
You can complete the verification on a computer via the Alibaba Cloud China website or by using the Alibaba Cloud app.
On a computer
You can visit www.aliyun.com on a computer and choose either Alipay verification or face scan verification. The steps for both methods are similar and require your personal Alipay information. We recommend using Alipay verification to avoid manually entering your name and ID number.
Alipay verification
Log in to the Alibaba Cloud Identity Verification page. In the Individual Verification section, click Alipay verification.
On the Alipay verification panel, use your Alipay app to scan the QR code. This code is valid for one hour.
In the Alipay app, on the Service Authorization page, read the authorization agreement and select Agree to complete the verification.
Face scan verification
Log in to the Alibaba Cloud Identity Verification page. In the Individual Verification section, click Face scan verification.
On the Face scan verification panel, use your Alipay app to scan the QR code.
Enter your name and ID number, click Start Verification, and then perform the face scan after your identity check passes.
You can view the verification result on the Individual Information page in the Alibaba Cloud Account Center.
Alibaba Cloud app
You can use the Alibaba Cloud app to complete verification through Alipay authorization without entering your ID number.
Open the Alibaba Cloud app. In the bottom navigation bar, tap My to go to your personal center. Tap your profile picture or account name to go to the Account Management page, and then tap Identity Verification. Alternatively, you can tap Verify to Get Benefits in your personal center to quickly access the verification page.
On the Identity Verification page, select Individual Verification. Alibaba Cloud uses the authorized information from Alipay to verify your identity. Tap Confirm. The Alibaba Cloud app will open Alipay and redirect you to the Alipay Authorization page. Read and agree to the User Authorization Agreement.
After you grant authorization in the Alipay app, Alibaba Cloud will retrieve the relevant information to verify your identity. The verification process is typically completed quickly. You can check your verification status by returning to the Account Management page in the Alibaba Cloud app and tapping Identity Verification.
Next steps
Add a payment method: Completing identity verification does not automatically link your Alipay account as a payment method. To purchase cloud products, you still need to add a payment method. For instructions, see Top up your account.
Student verification: If you are a university student in the Chinese mainland, you can complete student verification on the web console after your individual identity verification is successful. This allows you to participate in the Alibaba Cloud for Universities program. For details, see student verification.
Check identity verification status
After completing identity verification, you can check your current status at any time in the Account Center.
Log in to the overview page of the Alibaba Cloud Account Center.
On the overview page, find the identity verification information section. An individual account shows Individual identity verification and its status (for example, Verified or Not Verified).
To view more security settings, in the left-side navigation pane, click My Account > Account Security.
FAQ
Alipay accounts for verification and payment
Q: Does the Alipay account used for verification need to be the same one used for payments?
A: No. The Alipay account used for verification is unrelated to future payments.
The verification process uses Alipay only to confirm your identity. After successful verification, you can add any Alipay account (your own, a family member's, or a company's) for payments in the Alibaba Cloud console.