Guide · 8 min read
ID-verified dating: what we check, and what we never keep
On Cyproom nobody sees you, and you see nobody, before passing an ID check. It is the simplest way to know there is a real adult behind every card. This guide explains what Stripe checks, what we do ourselves, which documents work, what we keep and — just as important — what we never keep.
When you will do it
The check is built and opens together with accounts. Today only the waitlist is open, so there is nothing you need to do yet.
Why everyone is checked
Fake profiles are the biggest problem on dating apps: scammers with stolen photos, people hiding their age, accounts that come back again and again. On a small island there is one more reason: you want to know that the person you are about to meet is who they say they are.
- The rule is the same for everyone: whoever sees you has passed the same check as you.
- Adults only: the date of birth is read from the document, not taken on trust.
- One document opens only one account, so someone whose account was suspended cannot come back with a new e-mail.
- The check is free for members; we pay for it.
How it works, in 2–3 minutes
The check comes after your profile, as the third of four steps: Account · Profile · ID check · Thursday. You will need your document and a phone with a camera.
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Choose how
One screen shows two equal options, neither pre-selected: “ID and selfie” or “ID only”.
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Go to Stripe
The check happens on the secure pages of Stripe Identity (Stripe Payments Europe Ltd, Ireland), not on ours. You photograph your document and, if you chose it, take a selfie.
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Come back to Cyproom
The result usually arrives within minutes and the page updates by itself. If you close the page, we e-mail you as soon as it is done.
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You are ready
You see the label on your card and the date of the next Thursday.
Two options: with a selfie, or document only
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ID and selfie
Stripe checks the document and that your selfie matches its photo. Then we compare the selfie, once and on our own server, with your profile photos. This is a biometric check, so we ask for your explicit consent with a box that is not pre-ticked.
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ID only
Stripe checks the document only, with no selfie and no biometrics. You get exactly the same access to introductions. The only difference: we cannot confirm that your profile photos show you.
The “ID only” option exists so that biometric consent is genuinely free: nobody has to hand over their face to get in. You can add the selfie later, or withdraw your consent whenever you like.
What Stripe checks — and what it does not
- That the document is genuine: its security features, that it does not match known forged templates, and that the printed details agree with the machine-readable zone (the lines with "<<<"), where there is one.
- That you are photographing a real document, not a photocopy or a picture on another screen.
- Your date of birth and the document's country.
- With a selfie: that a real person took part at that moment and that it is the same person as on the document.
The check does not look at criminal records, marital status, income or character. It confirms you are a real adult with a genuine document — not that someone is a good person. That is what our guide Dating safety and fake profiles is for.
Which documents work
We accept a passport, a national ID card or a driving licence, as long as it is valid, has a photo of your face and shows a readable date of birth. You do not need to be a Cypriot citizen: Stripe checks documents from more than a hundred countries, including Cyprus, Greece, the UK, Russia and Ukraine.
Documents only in Greek or only in Cyrillic
Stripe cannot read details written only in Greek or Cyrillic characters (some older ID cards or internal passports, for example). If yours is like that, use your passport: it is the safest choice for everyone.
- Good light, no reflections, the whole document inside the frame.
- The original, not a photocopy or a photo of another screen.
- For the selfie: no sunglasses or hat, your face clearly lit.
- First add a main photo to your profile where your face is clearly visible: that is the photo the selfie is compared with.
What we keep — and what we never keep
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We keep
That you were verified, and when; which check you chose; the date of birth from the document (encrypted; it replaces the one you typed); the document's country; a cryptographic fingerprint of the document number, so it cannot open a second account; whether the selfie matched your photos (yes/no); and for each attempt, Stripe's reference number, the result and the times.
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We never keep
The name on the document, its images, its number, the selfie, or any "template" of your face. The fingerprint of the number cannot be turned back into the number.
Straight after the result — whatever it is, and also when a check fails or is abandoned halfway — we ask Stripe to delete the images and details of the check. Stripe completes this within 4 days at most. To be completely honest: Stripe is also an independent controller for its own purposes (fraud prevention, legal obligations) and says it may keep some data, such as biometric identifiers, for up to a year. Stripe's privacy policy explains this.
The comparison with your photos
If you chose the selfie, Stripe hands it to us through a link that expires in 30 seconds. It stays only in the memory of our server (in the European Union), is compared by open-source software (OpenCV) with no outside AI company, and is never stored.
- Your main photo must show you. It is the one others see first.
- Your other photos with a face: if one clearly shows someone else, it is hidden and we tell you; if we are not sure, a person looks at it before it is shown. Landscapes and photos without a face do not count.
- Our mistake is not your cost: if Stripe verified your document but the comparison with your main photo did not succeed, nobody pays again. You pass with the label “ID checked” and can later change your main photo and redo the selfie.
If something goes wrong
If the check does not pass, we always tell you why and what you can do:
- The date of birth could not be read: try again with a passport.
- The document has expired or was hard to read: try again with a valid document in good light — or with another document.
- The document is already on another account: each person has one account. Perhaps you once signed up with another e-mail: we send a sign-in link to that account's address. If that account is not yours, write to us straight away.
- The selfie did not match: try again in better light, change your main photo, choose “ID only”, or ask for a person to look at it.
- Under 18: the account is deleted immediately.
Attempts are limited because every check costs money, and only attempts that actually reached Stripe count. The check is automatic, but you can always write to info@cyproom.com to have a person look at it.
Withdrawing consent and deleting
- Withdraw your biometric consent: in “My account”, with one tap. We delete the result of the selfie comparison at once, and your card then says “ID checked”.
- Withdrawal within 14 days: this also withdraws your biometric consent.
- Delete your account: it is hidden at once and permanently deleted after 30 days, together with every result of the check. Only Stripe's reference number remains, with nothing else attached, until Stripe confirms it has deleted its own copy (usually within a few days).
- Download your data: in “My account” you can download everything we keep, including each check and when Stripe deleted it.
Frequently asked questions
Does Cyproom see my ID?
No. Only Stripe sees the images of your document, and it deletes them straight after. We receive the result, your date of birth, the country and the document number, which we turn into a fingerprint at once and never store; and, if you chose the selfie, the selfie for a few seconds, in memory only.
Why Stripe?
Because it is a large provider with a European company (in Ireland), and because this way the images of your document never pass through our own server. The same company will later handle payments too.
How much does it cost?
Nothing for you. We pay for every check, which is why attempts are limited.
Do I need a Cypriot ID?
No. Any valid photo document from a country Stripe supports will do. A passport works almost everywhere.
Can I switch from “ID only” to the selfie later?
Yes, from the same screen, within the limit on attempts. Your ID stays verified whatever happens; if the selfie matches, your card then says “ID and selfie checked”.
What if my document shows a different date of birth from the one I typed?
The document's date counts and your age updates automatically; we tell you on the result screen.