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Why does my Stitch Pay Later app say "verification failed"?

Lebo

Note: Stitch BNPL is now Stitch Pay Later. The product is the same, with a refreshed name.

When the app shows "verification failed", it can mean one of two completely different things. Knowing which one helps you fix it, or understand what to expect next.

The two checks behind Pay Later

Signing up for Stitch Pay Later runs two checks, one after the other:

  1. Identity verification (KYC). We confirm it's really you. This is the selfie and ID photo step.
  2. Credit assessment. Once we know it's you, we run the assessment that decides whether we can offer you Pay Later.

If either of these doesn't pass, the app says "verification failed". The fix depends on which one stopped you.

How to tell which one it is

If you stopped at the selfie/ID step (the app asked you to take a photo and something went wrong), it's an identity verification problem. This is usually fixable on your side, and you can retry.

If your selfie and ID went through and the app then said "verification failed" right at the end, it's almost always a credit assessment outcome. This isn't something you can fix in the moment by retrying.

If it's the selfie/ID step

Common fixes:

  • Stand in good light, facing the camera.
  • Only your face in the frame, no glasses, hats, or masks.
  • Photograph your ID with all four corners visible, no glare, the actual document (not a photocopy or screen).
  • Make sure the details you typed match what's on the ID exactly.

Full guide: My selfie or ID verification isn't working.

If it's the credit assessment

For regulatory reasons we can't share the specific criteria used in a credit assessment, and this applies to all credit providers, not just Stitch.

The credit check happens once at sign-up. We don't currently re-run it, so there isn't a way to retry. If you're trying to check out with a merchant who accepts Stitch, you can still pay directly from your bank account using Pay by bank — no credit check required, you just pay at the time of purchase.

Full guide: Why was my Pay Later application declined?

What if I'm still not sure which one it is?

If the app didn't make it clear which step stopped you, contact us from the app and we'll check on our side. Have your full name and ID number ready.

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