Skip to main content
Reason codes are the detailed signals that explain exactly why a customer passed or failed identity verification. Each code represents a specific finding—from “email address is over 2 years old” (I553) to “multiple identities associated with SSN” (R203). Codes give you granular insight into verification decisions and enable intelligent retry logic.

Understanding Code Categories

Reason codes follow a consistent naming pattern that indicates their type and severity:
Focus on R codes first—these indicate the specific issues preventing verification. Use I codes to understand what IS working correctly.

Where Codes Appear

Reason codes are returned in the codes array within each breakdown module:

Critical Risk Codes

These codes typically result in immediate rejection or review:

Identity Fraud Indicators

Verification Failures

Watchlist Hits

Implementation Patterns

Automated Response Logic

User-Friendly Error Messages

Best Practices

Prioritize Response

  • Handle blocking codes first (watchlist, synthetic)
  • Then fixable issues (invalid input)
  • Finally risk assessment (velocity, correlation)
  • Always provide actionable feedback

Track Patterns

  • Monitor most frequent codes
  • Identify false positive patterns
  • Optimize data collection based on failures
  • Adjust risk thresholds over time

Handle Gracefully

  • Prepare for new codes
  • Group related codes for handling
  • Cache code lookups for performance
  • Log all codes for analysis

User Experience

  • Translate codes to clear messages
  • Specify exactly what needs fixing
  • Avoid exposing raw codes to users
  • Provide support paths for complex issues

Common Code Patterns

Successful Verification

Typically includes these informational codes:
  • I1004 or I1005: Found in consortium data
  • I520, I620, I720: Low risk scores
  • I556, I618, I708: PII elements resolved

Needs Manual Review

Often includes these combinations:
  • I1001 + multiple R codes: New identity with risks
  • R1001-R1009: Velocity or inconsistency issues
  • R160-R166: Suspect but not confirmed fraud

Auto-Reject Patterns

  • R298 or R299: Synthetic identity
  • R180-R185: Watchlist matches
  • Multiple R140-R146: Negative tags

Reason Codes Documentation

Consortium and Social Verification


Account Verification Codes

Account Correlation


Device Verification Codes

Device Information


Email Verification Codes

Email Risk and Correlation


Phone Verification Codes

Phone Risk and Correlation


Address Verification Codes

Address Risk and Correlation


General Information Codes

General Information


Risk Codes

Identity Risk Codes