Refer to Market Illustration for aliases supported by specific IPS.
Common Alias Types
Mobile phone number
Description: The phone number associated with a user’s mobile device
Primary Benefits:
- Commonly used
- Easy to remember
Key Considerations:
- Introduces privacy concerns for end users, especially women
- May require additional tools to work with non-smartphone
Email address
Description: An email address owned by the user
Primary Benefits:
- Easy to remember
Key Considerations:
- Includes personal information
- Not frequently used in many markets, especially developing economies
Scheme-specific address
Description: An address format defined by the Scheme. For example, “username@handle” where username is set up when registering with the Scheme and handle refers to DFSP name or identifier
Primary Benefits:
- Does not include personal information, protects end user privacy
- Gives user choice in username
Key Considerations:
- May be challenging to remember if not used often
Randomly generated number
Description: An alphanumeric code or set of numbers produced by Scheme, assigned to the end user
Primary Benefits:
- Does not include personal information, protects end user privacy
Key Considerations:
- Works best with smartphone
- May require additional tools to work with non-smartphone
National ID or proxy
Description: The user’s national ID number, or a proxy value associate with the national ID number
Primary Benefits:
- Existing identifier, does not require new alias
Key Considerations:
- Closely linked to personal information
- May be challenging to remember
Entity/organization identifier
Description: A business identifier such as a tax ID number
Primary Benefits:
- Business specific
Key Considerations:
- May be challenging to remember
QR Code
Description: A two-dimensional barcode often used for merchant payments
Primary Benefits:
- Does not contain personal information
Key Considerations:
- Typically complementary to other aliases
- Works best with smartphone
- Requires standards for implementation